sometimes you hear the bullet
by boasamishipper
Summary: Dear Yung, there's a lull at last after almost four straight days of meatball surgery. That's eighty-five hours of sewing kids together; kids that look more at home behind a desk rather than a rifle. If this keeps up, I'm thinking of asking the army for a raise. / War is hell and seemingly endless. Yet, when Dr. Kai Wen meets Dr. Jinora Gyatso, everything goes uphill from there.
1. Welcome to Uijeongbu

The Earth Kingdom's weather patterns, Jinora Gyatso has already decided, are very, very confusing.

She'd been flown in this morning to Gaoling, where the shelling isn't nearly as bad and planes can leave in and out with little to no difficulty. In fact, the town is quite peaceful, and if it weren't for the soldiers patrolling there with semi-automatic weapons slung over their shoulders, she'd have forgotten that there is a war on at all. Uijeongbu, however—that's where she's been assigned to—is entirely different. As Corporal Nilak drives her through a lush forest, she takes note of just how _hot_ it is over here. Unlike Republic City, where it had been snowing when she'd left, Uijeongbu is hotter than the inside of a sauna. The speed of the car creates a decent breeze, but sweat stains have already formed under her arms and her hair is ruined. She's not usually the type of person to care about this sort of thing, but she wants to make a good first impression at her new job.

After what seems like forever (and after they've hit every damn pothole on the way), the jeep pulls up to the 6152nd Mobile Army Surgical Hospital amid a cloud of dust. Jinora immediately takes the time to look around her new home while Corporal Nilak and a woman that she doesn't know busy themselves with taking her bags out of the trunk. From what she can see, everything is spread out in a rough horseshoe with a large compound of level ground in the middle. At the closed end of the horseshoe is the main hospital building, made out of wood with a tin roof marked by a large red cross; everything else is made of canvas. Strung out to the left of the main building are (with signs in front of them) the Mess Hall, PX, Showers Tent, Barber Tent, Psych Tent, and Enlisted Men's Tent. On the right side are (with signs in front of them) Postop, Officers' Tents, Nurses' Tents, and finally, the Officers' Club. Some people are playing kuai ball in a sand pit. Others are eating lunch outside. Still others are chatting. Almost none of them are in full dress uniform, which relieves her. Maybe it's not that formal around here, so maybe she can get away with wearing nothing but her civvies. Her dress uniform is a bit too itchy for comfort.

"Captain Gyatso?" Jinora turns around to see the woman who'd helped with her bags staring at her impassively. "Captain Gyatso, my name is Sergeant Moon, I'm the company clerk. I'm supposed to take you to see Colonel Varrick."

"Oh!" Jinora sticks out her hand, but when Sergeant Moon doesn't shake it after a few seconds, she awkwardly retracts it. "Hello, Sergeant. Yes, er. I'd like to see the colonel right away. Where exactly should I put my bags?"

"In the Swamp," suggests Corporal Nilak. Sergeant Moon nods, and Jinora is left wondering whether she'd missed an inside joke. The Swamp? What's the Swamp? The Foggy Swamp, perhaps? No, that doesn't make sense. Either or, her bags are carted off to another tent by the ever-so-helpful Corporal Nilak, and she follows Sergeant Moon into Colonel Varrick's office.

Once inside the military office, where Jinora sees a man standing behind a desk with his back to the door, Sergeant Moon salutes him. "Colonel Varrick, sir! Reporting with new personnel, sir!"

"New _personnel_?" asks Colonel Varrick, sounding scandalized. "Zhu Li, what in the _hell_ —" He turns around midway through the word, gets one look at Jinora, and starts tripping over his tongue. "—I mean, what the _heck_ are you talking about? Ah yes. Heck. I meant heck. Hello, new personnel. I'm Colonel Iknik Blackstone Varrick, and you must be Jinora Gyatso."

"Excellent observation, sir," Sergeant Moon deadpans. "I also notice that you never curb your language around the nurses and me."

"Yes, well," Colonel Varrick stammers, obviously trying to come up with some sort of explanation. He sends the sergeant a desperate look for help, but Sergeant Moon rolls her eyes. "I feel as though I should make a good first impression. We've sorely been in need of a new chest surgeon, haven't we, Zhu Li?"

Sergeant Moon nods. Jinora feels as though she's watching a kuai ball match.

"Anyway." Colonel Varrick turns back toward Jinora, and she inwardly notes that he's wearing a lab coat and safety goggles. Eccentric _,_ she thinks before tuning back into the conversation. "Pleasure to meet you, Captain Gyatso." He freezes, looking like he's been caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. "Er, it _is_ Captain, isn't it? Or do I call you Doctor?"

Jinora smiles, trying to put the colonel at ease. "Either title will be just fine," she assures him. "I don't discriminate."

"Excellent. Now that we've got that settled, I believe that you're going to be staying with Captain Wen and Major Lieng in the Swamp." There it is again. The Swamp. Now what in the Four Nations is this mysterious Swamp? "Zhu Li, would you—"

"I'll go and get him to clean the place up and dispose of his anti-regulations alcohol."

"Damn it, Zhu Li, will you at least let me say it?" he snaps, although there's no anger behind the glare he sends Sergeant Moon's way. They're obviously very close, despite Colonel Varrick's eccentricity and Sergeant Moon's stoic attitude. "Anyway. Yes. Zhu Li, do the thing. I'm going to discuss Dr. Gyatso's résumé with her."

With a snappy salute, Sergeant Moon exits the room, leaving Jinora alone with the obviously nervous Colonel Varrick. She looks around her new commanding officer's office and notes that, along with two cabinets filled with bottles of alcohol, there is a taxidermy platypus-bear in the corner, gazelle-deer heads on the wall, fuzzy rugs on the floor, and a sleek mahogany desk that the colonel is standing awkwardly behind. It's not quite like any office she's ever seen before and anyway, the décor doesn't explain why Colonel Varrick's wearing a lab coat and safety goggles. "So," he says, getting down to business. "You have your résumé prepared, right?"

"Oh! Uh, yes." Jinora flushes, remembering where she'd left it. "At least, it's in my bag. But I have it memorized." She quickly lists where she did residency, her mentors, her alma mater, and while Colonel Varrick is taking furious notes, Sergeant Moon returns with a messy-haired green-eyed man in tow, who is also wearing civvies. He looks her age, maybe a year older. He looks like he's of Earth Kingdom descent, which sparks a bit of pity inside her because how can he stomach his country going to war?

"I could only find one of them, Colonel," Sergeant Moon apologizes. "I think that Major Lieng is with Major Iluak right now."

"That's fine, he'll meet Jinora later." Colonel Varrick does the introductions before Jinora can even open her mouth. "Captain Kai Wen, meet Captain Jinora Gyatso, the latest addition to our medical team. She'll be bunking with you and Major Lieng in the Swamp, so I surely hope that you've done what Zhu Li asked and cleaned up the place."

Captain Wen blinks. "Uh, begging the Colonel's pardon, but when you said that me and Mako would be getting a new person to bunk with us we—at least I—didn't think that she would be a girl." He flushes. "Why can't she bunk with the nurses?"

"Because she isn't a nurse, Kai," Colonel Varrick explains. "She is a doctor, and doctors bunk with doctors, just like nurses bunk with their fellow nurses. I don't hear Nurse Yamato complaining that he has to bunk with the female nurses."

"I don't think that Nurse Yamato is the one with the problem," Captain Wen snickers. "What I'm saying is that we don't want Captain Gyatso to feel uncomfortable, Colonel. I mean, we're men. She's a woman."

"Excellent observation," Jinora deadpans.

Captain Wen makes a condescending noise in the back of his throat. "Oh, she speaks!"

Jinora tries to rein in her rapidly-increasing temper. Everything about Captain Wen just seems to be pissing her off today. "Look," she says shortly. "I was drafted here, same as you. We're all grown, responsible adults, and I see no reason why we cannot all share a tent together for the time that we are here. If our difference in genitalia is the only thing that is bothering you, then—"

She's interrupted by the sound of him laughing. "You've only been here for like five minutes, haven't you?" She's not quite sure if he's insulting her or not, so she keeps silent. "Look, Cap, I really don't care. If we have to bunk with one another, then so be it." Suddenly, he waggles his eyebrows in what must be a failed attempt to look charming. "Just try not to fall in love with me and you'll be set."

Jinora rolls her eyes. "Your dubious charm aside, I'm engaged." She raises her left hand, showing off her engagement ring from Akash and really, why hadn't she just tossed that in the trash where it belonged? It's not like she actually wants to marry him. Then again, her new insufferable roommate doesn't have to know this. "Seems as though you're out of luck, Captain Wen."

Captain Wen holds up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Message received." He suddenly bends into a deep bow, straightening up and adopting a snooty voice that sounds like it belongs to every groveling politician that had ever come to her father's door to beg him for his vote in the next election. "May I escort you to the Swamp, Captain Gyatso?"

For the first time since entering Colonel Varrick's office, she smiles, and then she returns the bow. "Lead the way, Captain Wen."

* * *

The Swamp lives up to its name. There are three canvas cots with sleeping bags on them, a plank floor, an oil stove in the center of the room, electric lighting, a few crude shelves made from assorted crates and such, along with one table and three chairs in the back with dusty cards on top of them. Captain Wen's third of the room is a pigsty: his cot isn't made, his scrubs are strewn on the floor, there's an alcohol distillery chugging along behind his cot, and she almost catches a glimpse of a sex magazine on the ground before he casually sweeps it into a crate. Major Lieng's third of the room is much neater: his cot is made, no clothes are on the floor and the only thing that bothers her is the unopened package of condoms resting on his dresser drawer. She voices her concern but Captain Wen only laughs at her. "He isn't going to use them on you, Cap," he says. "He's saving them for someone special—I think they've been in Uijeongbu longer than I have."

Corporal Nilak and Sergeant Moon have already dropped her bags off by her cot, which is favorably situated in between the oil stove and the door. There's a photograph on the floor that doesn't belong to her, though, and she picks it up. Shown in the photo are Captain Wen, whose arm is thrown around a man with shaggy hair and a pageboy cap. They're both grinning at the camera. "Who's this?" she asks.

It's as though a dark cloud passes over Captain Wen's face as he catches sight of the photograph. "That's Skoochy."

It's clear from his clipped tone that he doesn't want to talk about him. Because she's an idiot, however, she keeps pressing. "Where is he now?"

A muscle in his jaw twitches. "The big hospital in the sky. Any other questions?"

Before she can start profusely apologizing for what she's said, a man with amber eyes and spiky black hair comes stumbling into the Swamp, muttering under his breath. He starts digging through the crate beside his bed and then looks up. "Kai, where did you put my scrubs?"

Captain Wen rolls his eyes. "Hello to you too, Mako. Would you like to continue blaming me for things I don't know about or would you like to introduce yourself to Captain Gyatso?"

Mako startles, like he hadn't realized that Jinora was in the room at all. "Ah. Um. Hello, Captain. I'm Major Lieng. Are you the new chest surgeon?" At Jinora's nod, Mako smiles. "Thank Raava. We've been in need of one for ages."

"I hope to be of good use, then," Jinora replies. "And you don't have to call me Captain all the time, Major. My name's Jinora."

"Alright then." With that settled, Mako turns back to Captain Wen. "Kai, don't think you can pull off this innocent little boy act just because Captain Gyatso's here. Where did you put my scrubs?"

"Raava's sake." Kai spreads his hands out in disbelief. "Did you look in the laundry? Sergeant Moon came around and dropped them off there this morning. I already picked mine up."

Mako's cheeks flush. It's apparent that he hasn't even considered that option. "Oh. I'll—I'll go and look there." With a polite nod at Jinora, he leaves the Swamp as quickly as he'd come in.

Captain Wen steps closer to Jinora, and for a brief moment she thinks that he's about to kiss her but then he jerks his chin upward. She looks up and sees a pair of scrubs lying on the rafters, along with a pair of shoes and a box of stationary. "I see Major Lieng was correct in suspecting you, Captain Wen," she says evenly. "Do you pull pranks on him often?"

Kai shrugs. "Uijeongbu gets boring if you don't know how to loosen up. Once I put ether in his aftershave; now _that_ was fun." He eyes her curiously. "You going to tattle on me, Cap?"

He's challenging her, she can see it in his eyes. She can also see that if she _does_ choose to tattle on him, she'll be on the recipient end of his pranks too. "I won't, on one condition." He raises an eyebrow, and she takes that as her cue to continue. "If you stop calling me Captain. My name's Jinora."

"Alright, Jinora," he says. "Call me Kai."

"Kai," she repeats, and saying his name feels like a breath finally released and Spirits damn it, what is wrong with her today? "Alright, Kai."

The sound of sirens suddenly jerks them apart. Captain Wen—Kai—immediately flies to pick his scrubs up off the floor, brushing them off. Jinora's left standing dumbly in the center of the room, still holding that damn photograph and wondering what in the world is going on.

Kai's halfway to the door before he notices her still standing there. "Follow me," he says.

Dropping the photograph on Kai's cot, she does as he says and follows him out the door.

* * *

The admitting ward is full by the time Jinora's scrubbed up and more wounded than she can count are being brought in by corpsmen. Major Lieng is currently examining a patient who is letting out a number of unintelligible sounds mixed in with clear and frequently repeated curses and pleas. Colonel Varrick and another nurse are currently operating, as is Kai. Jinora approaches one soldier and a nurse whose name she doesn't know removes some of the bandaging done in the field, revealing an abdomen with part of its contents on the outside. She doesn't wince or grimace, having seen much of this during medical school. It feels like everyone's eyes are on her as she says, "This is a two-person job. How much blood has he had?"

"This is his second pint now."

"Colonel!" Colonel Varrick looks up for a split second and grunts to show that he's paying attention before returning to his patient. "Colonel, this one's ready but we won't know all the damage until we get in and see what's happened."

"Korra, help Jinora," Colonel Varrick orders the nurse next to Jinora. "Zhu Li, I'm finished here. Get this kid into post-op."

A moment later, there are three operations going on at once and the room is silent except for the occasional cough, cry from a wounded soldier or the clink of surgical tools. Jinora stands over the soldier with the gaping wound in his abdomen; her nurse, Korra, assists her when she can. Their job here is to cut out a section of bowel damaged by a shell fragment and then start sewing the divided ends together. She can feel a bead of sweat make its way down her forehead, but before she can ask for help Korra takes care of it with a businesslike pat of cloth. She manages a grateful eye flick and then immediately returns to her patient, operating on autopilot.

Once she's done, she barely gets a second to relax before Sergeant Moon and Corporal Nilak bring a new person onto her table. This time it's a chest problem, and the horrible thing is that she finds herself relaxing. Chest problems are her specialty. It looks like this is a pulmonary laceration. Great.

She feels like everyone's eyes are on her again as she performs the operation. Blood spills from the wound and onto her rubber gloves, but she continues. It's gory and the wound is deep, but she continues. As the surgery continues, she slowly realizes what had happened: someone had attempted to perform CPR on this soldier, and the broken ribs as a result of this CPR perforated the lung. She moves quickly to fix this before the soldier chokes to death on his own blood.

The tension breaks as she finishes the job, and Colonel Varrick lets out a low whistle of appreciation as she, with Korra's help, begins to close up. "I'm done here. Get this man to post-op."

After two bowel resections and a leg amputation (on the latter she is helped by Mako), she gets to work with Kai.

"I've listened to the kid's chest with a stethoscope," says Kai, "and percussed on the chest. He's got a perforated bowel and his femur's definitely fractured. There's at least a pint of blood in his stomach and probably the same amount in the chest. Clear?"

"Crystal," Jinora answers. "And I'm sure that you've also noticed that this soldier has a hemopneumothorax because—well, look at the X-rays, it's all there in black and white. The shock from the blood loss's probably amplified by the contamination of the abdominal cavity by bowel contents." She pauses, getting her thoughts in order. "So what we're going to do is expand his lung and hit him with, say, two pints of blood and an antibiotic—"

"All to minimize the peritoneal infection." She can see that Kai's beginning to understand. "Don't we still have to open up the kid's chest and his stomach?"

"No, not at all," Jinora replies, showing him. "See? Look here. The chest wound's minimal. All you have to do is place a chest tube between the sixth and seventh ribs, hook it to underwater drainage—"

"And his lung will re-expand."

"Yeah. See, if he was going to bleed from the lung he would've done it by now. Our main priority here is getting the air out and waiting until his general condition improves; then we can tap it. Right now we just have to get the patient out of shock and in good enough shape to have his thigh debrided and belly cut."

"Someone get her a closed thoracotomy kit, now," Kai orders. Two corpsmen nearly trip over themselves getting her one.

Quickly, she dons a new pair of gloves, accepts a syringe of anesthesia from a nervous corporal, permeates the space between the ribs and the skin, takes a quick breath and pushes the needle into the pleural cavity. As she pulls back on the plunger she gets air and knows that she's in the right place. She inwardly notes the angle of the needle, pulls it back, takes the scalpel from Korra, incises the skin a half inch long and shoves the scalpel into the pleural cavity. Bubbles of air appear, and as she inwardly rejoices she works on autopilot, grabs the chest tube with a clamp and shoves the tube through the hole. Korra quickly attaches the other end to the drainage bottle on the floor, Kai blows up the balloon on the catheter and now the bubbles start to rise on the surface of the water in the bottle.

"Lung isn't expanding," Korra says.

"I know, I know, wait." She drops to her knees on the floor and, as she begins to suck on the rubber tube attached to one of the two tubes in the bottle, the upward flow of bubbles increases. The lung starts to expand.

"Holy shit," Kai swears. Colonel Varrick looks at her like she's hung the moon and the stars. Even Mako looks impressed, beneath his surgical mask. "Not bad, Jinora."

It's clear that she's passed her unofficial initiation with flying colors, but she doesn't have time to revel as she returns back to her table and begins operating again.

* * *

"You did a good job today," Kai tells her about six hours later, when they're all back in the Swamp. Mako had crashed immediately and although Jinora's exhausted beyond belief, she can't fall asleep. Neither, apparently, can Kai.

"Oh. Uh, thanks," she says. The praise makes her blush and her eyelids droop. "You know, if you want to learn more about chest surgery I can show you what I know."

Kai's words are said around a long yawn. "Thanks," he says. "That's real nice of you."

* * *

The wounded come and go in spurts. It's hard to predict when their next barrage will be, but Jinora quickly learns that when she hears shelling, the chances of wounded coming in increase significantly. She also learns that the food is horrible here, and writes home to her mother to ask for some care packages. She works together with Kai in the operating room a lot, and her nurse is usually Korra or Opal.

Over the next two weeks, Jinora learns a lot about the people at the 6152nd. Korra's the head nurse, and while Mako outranks Kai, Kai is still the head surgeon. Kai also lets her in on the not very well kept secret that Mako likes Korra and that he's actually saving the condoms for her. Opal and Captain Bolin Lieng, the camp psychiatrist and Mako's younger brother, have been dating for the last two months. Bolin's sort of a foil to Mako: while Mako is stiff and stern, Bolin is nice and laughs a lot and tells wild stories at the Officer's Club every other night. Apparently he'd once dated the mover star Ginger Zhang, which none of them believe until he shows them pictures to prove it. Opal's quickly becoming one of Jinora's best friends; she's quick-witted and funny and kind and doesn't take shit from anyone—she also has four brothers, which makes Jinora sympathize with her. She knows the struggles of having a lot of siblings firsthand. Kai informs her that Colonel Varrick and Zhu Li have been engaged in what they think is a secret, torrid affair ever since setting foot in Uijeongbu but in reality everyone knows about it.

(She tries asking people about Skoochy, whoever he is or was, but every time she asks, she's met with a wince or a grimace and is told not to ask about him. Eventually, she stops asking, but the curiosity doesn't stop burning inside her.)

And then, of course, there's Kai. Kai, who'd spent the first ten years of his life bouncing around in the foster system before being adopted by a man named Yung. Kai, who spends his time now by wisecracking, brewing moonshine, carousing with the nurses and pulling pranks on Mako. Kai, who's one of the best doctors that she's ever seen and he seems to know it. Kai, who's only thirty-one and is already head of surgery.

Kai, who's unlike anyone she's ever met.

Sometimes she gets a weird feeling in her stomach after he manages to make her laugh—a weird feeling like nerves and guilt stewing together. It's not that she _likes_ him; that would be ridiculous, she's an engaged woman for Raava's sake. It's just that…well, he intrigues her. And she's always enjoyed being intrigued.

Sergeant Moon comes around on Jinora's twenty-seventh day at the 6152nd with a pile of mail. Kai gets two letters and a care package. Jinora gets the same. One of her letters is from Akash, and the other is from her family. One of Kai's letters is from Yung, and the other is from his councilman, begging him for a vote. She finds it hilarious that even in Uijeongbu they can't escape the horrors of junk mail.

"What does Yung say?" she asks him.

Without looking up, he answers, "He misses me, it's been raining lately and he's been planting panda lilies. That and some other things." He looks up now. "How's your fiancé?"

She's already opened the first page of her letter from her mother. "Oh, I don't know, I didn't open his yet." Nor does she particularly care to. Uijeongbu may be crazy but at least being here means that she doesn't have to be at home. She sets her mother's letter down for now and opens up the care package to reveal boxes of candies and homemade (albeit slightly crumbled) egg cookies. "Want an egg cookie?"

"Nah, I'm fine. I've never been the biggest fan of those." He's distracted again, still reading Yung's letter. "Ha. He wants to know if I've tried to do that thing where I stick someone's hand in a bowl of water and it makes them wet themselves. I haven't. That's a good idea."

She smiles. "I see that pranking runs in the family."

Kai snorts. "Yeah, Yung's just fostered my pranks rather than suppressed them. He's a good guy, Jinora, you'd like him." He pauses. "What's your dad like?"

"Busy," she says after a moment's hesitation. "He's the governor of Republic City, so he's always pretty busy. He spends time with our family whenever he can, though." His only flaw in Jinora's eyes is that he thinks she and Akash are compatible with one another. Honestly, can't he see that Akash is a pig? "He's a good man."

Kai nods, and she nods, but before they can get back to their respective letters, Sergeant Moon's stoic voice comes over the compound speakers:

 _"Attention, incoming choppers, all medical personnel please report to the operating tent…Attention, incoming choppers, all medical personnel please report to the operating tent…"_


	2. Dear Yung

Kai Wen's been in the Earth Kingdom for over a year now, which is certainly long enough to realize that war is hell. It's always either too hot or too cold and there's nothing to think about but the weather and the war and between him and the stove, he'd mostly rather think about the weather. Today's too hot—means that tomorrow will be too cold. He doesn't know which is worse: that he can predict the weather or that he's actually getting used to it.

His life's become a pretty stern monotony that he tries to spice up by pulling pranks on everyone (mostly Mako) every so often. In an average day, he wakes up, eats the shit that they serve in the mess tent, goes to post-op, plays poker, scams some money, operates on kids that look no older than seventeen, drinks whatever his distillery's produced, writes home, reads, goes to his post-op shift, pranks Mako, drinks more, and then goes to bed. It seems like a fun life, but it isn't. He's just going through the motions at this point and he still has another year of service to go—that's according to the generals, anyways. Then again, they said that he'd be home by now this time last here. For all Kai knows, he could be here until he's as old as Yung.

The thought of Yung whacking him over the head for calling him old makes Kai smile, and since he's currently bored out of his wits but not enough to prank Mako, he decides to write a letter.

 _Dear Yung, there's a lull at last after almost four straight days of meatball surgery. That's eighty-five hours of sewing kids together; kids that look more at home behind a desk rather than a rifle. If this keeps up, I'm thinking of asking the army for a raise._ He laughs at his own rapier wit before continuing to write. _Anyway, Yung, since I haven't really had time to write for a while, let me get you up to speed._

 _Varrick and Zhu Li, our company clerk, still think that no one's caught wind of their affair. It's actually kind of hilarious. I walked in on them kissing the other day and Varrick said that they weren't kissing, he was just practicing his mouth to mouth. Yeah, sure. I suppose that's what they're calling it these days. I don't know what they see in each other: Zhu Li's half-psychic and so stoic I swear that nothing fazes her, and Varrick's idea of high fashion is a lab coat and safety goggles. But they're happy, and a happy CO's better than an angry one._

 _I pulled a prank on Mako a while back—I hid his scrubs up in the rafters of our tent, along with a box of stationary and his shoes. I know, you don't have to say anything, I'm pretty brilliant. Korra thought that it was pretty funny. Remember, I told you about Korra? She's the head nurse and Mako's the head twerp. They're both career soldiers, but he's really military and I swear that if I were to stick a lump of coal up his ass, in two weeks I'd have a diamond._

Kai jerks up just as Jinora enters the room and collapses on her cot, one arm covering her eyes as a groan spills from her lips. "So," he says awkwardly, "rough day?" For some reason, just being around her makes him uneasy. It's not that he's afraid of her, because that would be ridiculous considering the amount of nurses he's seduced around here. Maybe it's because she's intelligent and one hell of a doctor. Maybe it's because she actually knows the difference between teasing him and getting a rise out of him. Maybe it's because she reminds him of—

No, he won't go there. Not today.

Jinora turns over onto her side so that she's facing his cot. Her arm's still covering her face and her voice is muffled because of it. "Do you have any idea of what I've dealt with today?" Before he can say something sarcastic, she continues. "There's a kid in there whose appendix I removed last night that's begging to go back to the front lines. Apparently he's got a girl back home who won't take him back until he wins a medal, and he wants to either die in battle or go home with an Indigo Crux." She scoffs. "Honestly."

Well, this is definitely interesting. _If only Mako had been there_ , he thinks. _He would've torn the kid a new one_. "And what'd you do?"

"I sat him down and told him that if his girl only loves him because he's getting a medal, then he needs to find a better girl."

"And what'd he do?"

She removes her arm, revealing a reddening spot next to her jaw. "Cold-cocked me."

Kai nearly trips over himself getting to Jinora. "Let me see," he demands, and she lets him examine her jaw. "It doesn't look too bad but it'll be a hell of a bruise in the morning."

"Thanks, Doctor, I didn't realize that," Jinora says.

"Ah, sarcasm, one of your many dulcet tones," he comments. Anger is swelling inside of him and he wants to storm into post-op so he can lay a punch on the kid that had hurt Jinora to see how _he_ likes it. "Are you sure you're alright, Jinora?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she says, waving him off. "Is the distillery working? I think I need a drink."

"Just what the doctor ordered," he quips. "And yeah, it's always open, help yourself. Just make sure you'll be alright by tonight. Zhu Li's sixth sense claims that choppers are coming later."

"Joy of joys," Jinora grumbles before standing up and moving over to the distillery. Kai returns to his letter from after he sees that she's really okay. Drinking is one of her newer habits—then again, anyone who's anyone in Uijeongbu drinks. It's the only way they cope after hard days.

 _Sorry about that, Yung. Jinora just came in and…hey, that's right, I haven't told you yet. We got a replacement chest surgeon from Republic City a while ago by the name of Jinora Gyatso. Damn, is she something. Smart, good-looking, witty, knows her way around a person's body—and don't go there with your mind. I haven't made a move on her, she's engaged and I think she'd rip my arm off with her teeth if I tried anything. Either way, she's pretty cool. I like having her around; mostly because Mako doesn't feel comfortable yelling at me when she's in the room and she doesn't tell on me to Varrick when I'm planning a prank. (Speaking of which, got any new ideas? I'm fresh out.) You'd think that she'd be green but in fact she's the opposite. Her first day here she repaired a lacerated pulmonary artery like no one's business and did something so incredible to fix this one kid's hemopneumothorax that I can't even describe 'cause the enemy might intercept this letter and tell the doctors on their side._

 _Anyways, Jinora aside, I've heard that General Raiko's thinking of running for president. I swear, the things some men do to get out of the army…_

* * *

While Mako's on leave in Gaoling, they have a new doctor by the name of Captain Riku stay with them. Not one of the best doctors Kai's seen, but he knows how to get the job done, which is the most important job here. Never mind that the nurses don't like him and Zhu Li, the best judge of character around here, gives him hell—if he can restructure a bowel, he's staying until Mako gets back.

Kai's operating, Colonel Varrick's operating, and so's Riku. Jinora's currently doubling as both the chest surgeon and the anesthesiologist. The nurses, led by Korra, are extremely focused on their patients. Not for the first time, Kai thinks that they need to get some respect. Zhu Li's organizing the enlisted men to be prepared to take the finished patients into post-op. Captain Lieng, the camp psychiatrist and Mako's younger brother, is helping them out because they're short a nurse. Everything's running smoothly, or as smoothly as things can run in a war zone.

"Quit daydreaming, Nurse," Riku snaps at Korra, who's delayed half a second in giving him more suction. "Honestly. This is the army, not preschool."

Kai can't help himself. "Hey, Riku." Riku looks up, a fresh sneer on his face. "I'd show some respect if I were you."

"Why? Because she's a woman?" From the way he says 'woman', it's obvious he thinks that Korra's gender is the best insult he can give someone.

Korra speaks up now. "No, because I'm the head nurse here and I happen to outrank you, Captain. _Major_ Korra Iluak, at your service. And here's your damn suction."

Kai exchanges a grin with Colonel Varrick while Riku splutters nonsensical apologies under his breath. Jinora looks up all of a sudden. "Riku, the kid's pulse is weakening, blood pressure's dropping—"

"Don't sass me, I'm doing everything I can!" Riku snaps. Kai's grip tightens on his scalpel. "This soldier's a mess. What'd he do, step on a land mine?"

Actually, that's what happened to get the kid so grievously injured, but no one says anything; their focus is all back on their patients until Jinora says, "No pulse."

A little bit of the air goes out of the room. _Shit, not another casualty_ , Kai thinks. _This is the third one today and the ninth this week._

Apparently Riku feels even more despondent because he shrugs and says, "Well, I guess that's that."

Jinora looks as though he's just insulted her grandmother. "Are you insane?" she snaps vehemently. "What do you mean, that's that? Do something, Captain!"

"He didn't have a chance anyways," Riku says, his tone rather condescending. To Korra, he demands, "Get me the next patient."

Jinora stands up from where she's been monitoring the patient's vitals and shoves Riku out of the way. "Cover the belly, Korra," she orders, and even Varrick is stunned by how sharp her tone is. "Bag him, Captain."

"You're not supposed to tell me what to do—"

Jinora slams her hand down on the table, nearly making Riku fall off his seat from fear. "Bag the patient once every five beats, and that's an _order,"_ she snaps. Riku's too cowed to do anything but do what Jinora says. She gets to work doing chest compressions, alternating between swearing and ordering Riku to bag.

"Try open heart massage," Kai suggests.

"No, we can do it closed, I saw it done when I was doing residency," Jinora explains, obviously distracted by her patient. _Good,_ Kai thinks. _Rather not open his chest._ Everyone's eyes are on her, including Riku, as she continues administering compressions. "Bag, damn it!"

"You're going over my head, Gyatso," Riku warns, but before Kai can kill him Korra snaps at Riku to put a sock in it because everything apparently goes over his head. Brilliant woman, Korra is. If she weren't like a sister to him, Kai would kiss her. "Nothing," Riku says after he's been told yet again to bag. "Hah!"

Hah, he says. Like this is all one big game. Kai's seriously thinking of abandoning his appendectomy so he can strangle that pompous piece of shit.

"Come on," Jinora snaps at her patient, continuing her compressions. "Come on, you! Come on, come on!"

"Enjoying your dramatics, Gyatso?" Riku's snarky attitude is met with a yell of, "Bag!" from two aggravated captains. After one more set of compressions, he stares stunned at the instrument used to monitor the kid's vitals. "Hey, I'm getting a pulse. Good…better—hey, it's really going now. We're in the clear."

Jinora's probably beaming under her mask. Kai knows that he is, and Varrick's getting those crinkles around his eyes that only appear when he's genuinely happy. "Another unit of whole blood," Jinora says, switching places with Riku again.

Korra's murmur of "Good work, Doctor," seems to incense Riku even more. "It's stuff like this I'm going to call I-Corps about. The entire unit's losing it."

At that, Varrick looks up. "Don't be ridiculous, Captain Riku. The 6152nd is perfectly normal."

Riku, because he's a doctor first and an absolute bastard second, keeps his hands busy on his patient (alive thanks to Jinora) while he continues raging on. "Oh, yes, completely normal. What kind of a commanding officer are you, anyway, turning a blind eye to these _perversions_ —incompetent nurses, women talking back—"

Zhu Li looks ready to throw something at Riku for smack-talking Varrick. Jinora's knuckles are white on her scalpel. Korra looks ready to commit high treason. Kai isn't having any of this. "For Raava's sake, Riku, shut your cakehole. You know this isn't the time or place to be talking like this."

"Kai's right," Varrick says, before Riku can respond. "And consider that an order, since you respect them so much."

And with that, the noise in the operating room lapses back into the regular clink of instruments and underlying chorus of muttered instructions and moans.

* * *

 _Sorry about that, Yung. Had to go and operate—so much for that lull I was telling you about. Mako's on leave for the next couple days so we got saddled with this pain in the ass from stateside named Captain Riku. He's a misogynistic turd that spent most of operating hours insulting Korra and Jinora. I was ready to tear him a new one—luckily Colonel Varrick ordered him to put a sock in it and he took it. Never thought I'd say this but I actually kinda miss Mako. I'll take a stern stiff over Riku any day._

 _Took me twelve yuans and the promise of a new pair of glasses to bribe Zhu Li to move Riku out of the Swamp and into the VIP tent. It's nice because now we can play cards in there without Riku glaring holes into the back of our heads._

 _Better get some sleep. The colonel says that we'll be having a meeting in the morning. I'll write more in about four hours._

* * *

At around six in the morning, Jinora and Kai slouch over to Varrick's office in their bathrobes—Kai in red, Jinora in blue—both of them still half asleep. Korra's already there, in uniform, sitting up straight in the chairs in front of Varrick's desk. No matter how awesome Korra is, she's a career army woman and that means she's in uniform whenever the occasion calls for it. It's her only downside, really. Riku doesn't show, not that anyone's complaining. Kai takes a seat on the shorter file cabinet, and Jinora takes the chair next to him. Zhu Li's standing awkwardly next to Varrick's desk, holding a stack of paperwork.

"Let's get down to our real business," Varrick says, skipping roll call since it's pretty obvious that everyone is here. "I called this meeting to inform you that General Raiko will be visiting the camp tomorrow, so," he claps his hands together sharply, causing Kai to startle awake, "let's make sure that everything is ship-shape for him. I really want him to be impressed. I hope the VIP tent is in prime condition."

Kai blinks once. Then twice. No, it isn't a dream. "Varrick, why is General Raiko coming here?"

"Yeah," Korra chimes in, reclining in her chair. "I thought he hated you."

Varrick scoffs. "Hates me? Hates _me_? Now why on earth would General Raiko hate me?"

Jinora looks like she's wondering the same thing. Despite her obvious competence in the operating room, she's got a long way to go in terms of catching up on everything else. Namely, social things. The rivalry between Colonel Varrick and General Raiko's been going on ever since Kai came to this hellhole, maybe even longer.

Kai eventually answers Varrick's semi-rhetorical question for his sake and Jinora's. "Because the last time you two spoke, he punched you in the face because you hired two guys to kidnap him and bring him here to inspect the place."

"Semantics!" Varrick insists.

"I hope that you aren't thinking of trying the same thing again, sir," says Zhu Li, speaking up for the first time since this meeting began.

"Of course not, Zhu Li. As I recall it took forever for my nose to heal and my black eye to return to normal."

"That's because you kept saying that you didn't want to use the cream that Kai and Skoochy gave you."

Varrick glowers at her, but there's no anger behind it, as usual. Kai wonders how Varrick ever got the position of colonel in the first place when he clearly doesn't follow through on his threats or angry glares. "Maybe so, Zhu Li, but I healed up just fine." To Jinora, he says, "Would you and Captain Wen mind cleaning up the VIP tent for him?"

"Not at all, Colonel," Jinora says. Kai can't tell whether she's being sarcastic or sincere. "But, er, what about Captain Riku? Isn't he staying there now?"

"No, he left last night. Zhu Li made him go down to Gaoling to switch places with Mako. Riku isn't going to be around here anymore, he's a disgrace to the 6152nd." Varrick sounds proud, as if he'd drawn a nice picture and his mother had pinned it to the center of the icebox. Kai's too happy that Riku's gone to tease him. "Major Lieng should be back soon. And as he's coming back, you two should clean up the VIP tent. Major Iluak, I believe you and I are on post-op duty?"

"Yes, Colonel, that's right."

"Then let's get going. Zhu Li—"

"I'll post a new guard shift on the command tent," Zhu Li says, still writing.

"—post a new…guard shift on the—oh, why do I even bother?" Varrick rolls his eyes, waving his hand at everyone. "You're all dismissed."

* * *

 _Jinora and I prepped the VIP tent for General Raiko, but something tells me that he isn't coming. Varrick tends to interpret all of their conversations extremely positively. Me and her got to talking and she's pretty cool. Apparently she's got three younger siblings and her dad's the governor of Republic City. You've probably heard of him—Tenzin Gyatso. You'd think that any kid of his would be stuck up and snotty, but she isn't._

 _Anyways, while we didn't a visit from General Raiko (thank Raava, I've never really liked him), we got a visit from heavy artillery. Shelling's been getting closer and closer all day. My ears have been ringing all day. According to Zhu Li, all of the wounded are going over to the 8045_ _th_ _. Good for us. Means we get to relax again—least until the new wave of soldiers fresh from the battlefield heads our way._

 _Don't worry about me, Yung. I'm doing fine, I love you, I miss you, and I'll be home as soon as the war's over. Maybe when I'm old and gray like you, eh? That'd be something._

 _Write me as soon as you can. Maybe send a care package? I'm in need of some good food and warm socks._

 _Love,_

 _Your son,_

 _Kai._

* * *

On Jinora's twenty-seventh day here, they get mail. Jinora gets two letters and a care package, same as him. Kai's never been much of a big reader, but Yung's letters are something special. He could read them for the entirety of the war and never get bored.

"What does Yung say?"

He's a bit peeved that she's interrupted him, but what can he do. "He misses me, it's been raining lately and he's been planting panda lilies. That and some other things." He looks up from his letter. "How's your fiancé?"

She's already ripped one envelope open and is reading one of her two letters right now. "Oh, I don't know, I didn't open his yet." Her fiancé's letter is at the front and she still opens her other letter first. Their relationship must be swell. "Want an egg cookie?"

"Nah, I'm fine. I've never been the biggest fan of those." He prefers chocolate chip. He goes back to Yung's letter and finishes the first paragraph. "Ha. He wants to know if I've tried to do that thing where I stick someone's hand in a bowl of water and it makes them wet themselves. I haven't. That's a good idea." His mind's already racing to formulate a plan about how he's going to pull it off and when he's going to pull it off. Maybe he should enlist Korra.

Jinora's smiling at him. That funny feeling in his stomach comes back. "I see that pranking runs in the family."

Kai snorts. "Yeah, Yung's just fostered my pranks rather than suppressed them. He's a good guy, Jinora, you'd like him." He pauses. "What's your dad like?"

He doesn't expect an answer, so he's somewhat surprised when she actually gives him one. "Busy. He's the governor of Republic City, so he's always pretty busy. He spends time with our family whenever he can, though." She hesitates for a moment, as if she isn't sure whether she should keep going or not. "He's a good man."

Before they can get back to their respective letters, Zhu Li's on the intercom yelling about incoming wounded, and there's no time to do anything but run to the chopper bay and hope that they won't be quite so inundated tonight.

* * *

After six measly hours of surgery, they return to the Swamp. Mako passes out the moment his head hits the pillow, he practically has to carry Jinora to bed, but Kai's not that tired—he'd rather finish reading Yung's letter.

Kai's glad that Yung's doing fine back home. The only thing bothering him about the letter is the postscript. He reads it several times, trying to figure out what Yung's insinuating.

 _P.S. You know, kid, I've been around a long time. Not long enough to turn my hair gray, but long enough to see when you like someone. This Jinora girl must be something if you've managed to write a letter to me and make it all about her. :)_

It hits him like a brick to the head, and then he rolls his eyes, snickering under his breath.

Him? Like Jinora? As if.


	3. It Happened One Night

Had someone told Jinora two months ago that she would come to enjoy living in a perpetual war zone among some of the craziest people she'd ever met, she would have laughed in their faces. Now, however, she almost doesn't want the war to end just so she can stay in Uijeongbu with Kai and Korra and Opal and Colonel Varrick and Sergeant Moon. It's selfish, sure, but it only stems from the thought that she really has nowhere else to go. Her only option back home is to give up her medical license and marry Akash and become a housewife because her oh-so-wonderful fiancé doesn't believe that women should work for a living. Getting drafted had been a gift from Raava herself—here, she is a respected doctor and doesn't have to hide from anyone.

The only thorn in her side at the moment is her roommate. Kai plays the role of the whimsical alcoholic prankster quite well, but she can't help but feel that there's more to his character. Plus there's the mystery of the man in his photograph, Skoochy, which he still hasn't divulged to her. All in due time, she supposes. Kai's also been acting a bit strange around her ever since he'd received that letter from Yung—not that he's giving her the silent treatment or anything, he just acts more nervous around her like he's afraid she'll do something to him if he isn't careful.

"Jinora?"

And just like that, she's jolted back into reality. Apparently she'd dozed off at their usual table in the mess tent. "I'm up," she grumbles, rubbing her eyes before taking another sip of coffee. If there's one thing she misses back home besides her family, it's real coffee. "M'awake."

Kai, at least, looks sympathetic. "Have you gotten any sleep at all since last night?"

Last night Jinora had worked for nine hours in the operating room and seven hours in post-op monitoring her most critical patients. Korra had fallen asleep in inventory while looking for more plasma. "I may have hallucinated getting a couple hours of sleep," she remarks, offering a half-smile. "That's just as good, isn't it?"

Captain Lieng—Bolin, Jinora reminds herself, he'd insisted on being called Bolin—laughs and slings an arm over Opal's shoulder. The couple had elected to join them for breakfast this morning. "It's definitely just as good. I barely got any sleep either last night."

"For entirely different reasons," Kai mutters under his breath. Jinora tries not to laugh as Opal flushes bright red and Bolin throws a napkin at him. "Kidding, kidding!"

"I think we've all been in a slump lately," Korra comments, leaning forward and propping her head up on her hands. "I mean, all we've done this month is eat, sleep, and operate. Mostly the latter. My point is that we've barely had any room for fun. Kai, I don't even remember the last prank you pulled."

"Me and Jinora pulled one two weeks ago," Kai protests. Bolin whispers something to Opal about how it'd been more of him convincing Jinora to help him pull a prank rather than them being equal pranking partners, but Kai either doesn't hear them or chooses not to remark. "Remember? We put all of Mako's things in the nurse's showers."

Korra's brows furrow and then a look of understanding comes on her face. "Oh yeah, that's right. Nurse Kiyi hasn't been able to look Mako in the eyes since she saw the condoms he keeps. But I'm talking about something that everyone can participate in. Right now we're all sleep-deprived shells and we all need something to focus on. So I'm open to ideas here. Anyone have an idea to boost morale?"

"Cockroach races?" Bolin suggests. This suggestion is met with four looks of disgust. "Hey, there are cockroaches everywhere around here. About time we put them to good use, right?"

"I veto that idea for now," Korra says. "Besides, we had one of those three months ago and you remember how well that turned out. Nurse Yamato still thinks that he has cockroaches roosting in his suitcase. Anyone else? Opal? Kai? Jinora?"

Opal suggests a kuai ball competition, which Korra vetoes because it would be unfair to those who don't like the game. Kai suggests a poker contest, which everyone shoots down because they know either him or Mako would win outright. Then Jinora speaks up. "I read in a magazine last week that a bunch of kids at RCU stuffed fifteen people into a Satomobile. It's the world record right now." A sly smile blossoms on her lips as she looks at Bolin, Opal, Kai and Korra. "I bet we could beat it."

Judging by her friends' expressions, they all enjoy the idea. "Perfect," Korra says, punching Jinora playfully on the shoulder. "Bolin, go and ask Zhu Li if we can fly in Colonel Varrick's Satomobile. Kai, Jinora, let Mako know about this so he won't have a conniption. I'm going to go and tell the rest of the nurses—Opal, want to come with?"

"Yeah, alright," Opal says with a shrug. She stands up, stabs her fork into the sausage on her plate, where it stands upright, and pushes herself up from the bench. She presses a quick kiss to Bolin's cheek before following Korra out of the mess tent.

Bolin actually looks relieved when Opal leaves, and before Jinora can open her mouth to ask why (maybe they're having relationship troubles), he says, "Hey, can you guys keep a secret?"

"As well as anyone else can," Kai says at the same time that Jinora says, "Of course."

"Well, ah…" Bolin looks both ways, as though someone could possibly be listening in on them in the empty mess tent, and then beckons Jinora and Kai forward. "I'm thinking of proposing to Opal."

Kai lets out a low whistle, grinning at Bolin. "Hey, congratulations! Should I go to Gaoling and rent a suit for the occasion?" He winks saucily at Jinora. "Mind being my plus-one, Jinora?"

Jinora rolls her eyes, trying and failing to quell the blush burgeoning on her cheeks. "In your dreams, Captain Wen."

"Frequently, Captain Gyatso, though not as often as I'd like." Now there's no chance of hiding her blush. Kai's won this round for sure. "Anyways, Bolin, have you got a ring yet?"

Bolin reaches into his pocket and pulls out a smooth, velvet-colored box the size of a film canister. He opens it and shows Jinora and Kai the greenish-white ring that rests inside. "An opal ring for Opal." He beams at them like a little boy, expecting them to laugh at his pun and receiving two facepalms in near perfect unison. "My problem is, I don't know when the right moment is to do it."

Akash's proposal had been a business arrangement—two of the months they'd spent with each other had been spent awkwardly courting and then out of nowhere he'd given her a ring. The rest of the time Akash had planned their wedding while Jinora had thrown herself into her work to avoid him. "Well, it's hard to propose to someone in a war zone," she says weakly.

He throws his hands up in the air in exasperation, nearly sending his engagement ring flying. "I know! But after the war she's going to go back to Zaofu and I'm going to go back to Republic City and who knows when I'll see her again? I have to do it here; it has to be here."

"Maybe after we beat the world record," Kai suggests.

Bolin perks up at this. "Yeah—yeah, that could work! That could work." He stands up suddenly, as though someone had shot a needle full of adrenaline into his veins. "You know what, I'm going to do it. That's settled now, I'm going to do it then." He runs out of there a moment later, as though if he stays there one moment longer he'll lose his nerve.

Jinora looks over at Kai. "So, shall we go and ask Zhu Li about the colonel's Satomobile?"

Kai nods. "May as well. Something tells me that in his excitement Bolin forgot it was his job."

* * *

Zhu Li has no problem with asking the colonel about his Satomobile. Varrick isn't so easily convinced _("What if something happens to it? It could get scratched, or ruined, or—or_ breathed _on wrong—" "Colonel, all that could happen to your car were it back home.")_ but once Jinora and Kai start talking about how the soldiers would stop complaining for a while because their morale would be higher, he agrees to fly it in. Korra and Opal tell the nurses, Kai and Jinora tell Mako so he won't have a conniption. Two days later, everyone in the 6152nd knows about their idea to try and break the world record. Jinora won't lie—she's really excited.

There's been a lull in surgery all week, so everyone's spent their time relaxing and playing poker and exchanging bets on just how many people they'll fit into Varrick's car. Jinora writes a letter home, telling her mother that when she gets her latest edition of the Republic City Chronicle she has to look in the Arts section. She debates not writing to Akash but eventually decides to. It's for the best—he'd probably fly to Uijeongbu just to interrogate her why she isn't replying to his letters. She sees Kai furiously scribbling a letter to Yung, and when she asks what he's writing, his ears go bright red and he clams up, refusing to tell her. It's kind of adorable.

Varrick's car is flown in that weekend. It's sleek and black and big with two bumper stickers on the back that say "Property of I.B. Varrick" and "The Closer You Get The Slower I Drive". Zhu Li sets up a camera that she'd gotten from the 8045th in exchange for three gallons of sundries and long johns and makes to go back inside, but Varrick grabs her arm. "C'mon, Zhu Li," he begs. "You'll be making world records! That'll be super impressive on any résumé." She rolls her eyes at his argument but stays anyway, claiming that she doesn't want to see anyone get hurt. Even Jinora knows by now that she's doing it for Varrick.

Kai immediately places himself in charge, forcing the smallest nurses and Zhu Li into the back of the car first. Korra pops open the trunk and squeezes herself and Opal into the back. Bolin and Mako hang out the sides of the car, and Colonel Varrick won't stop talking about how they had better not ruin the inside of his car. There are fourteen of them squeezed in there.

"I want you all to remember there will be no groping allowed," Mako orders. "This is a purely professional thing we're doing here."

"Ah yes, Major Lieng is absolutely right as always," Kai says, adopting a pompous voice. "All gropers will report to my bunk immediately after this—and then the gropées." Jinora can't help but laugh even though on any other man she'd find this sort of joke horrible. Kai's just special, she supposes.

She's nearly stunned out of her wits when Kai sticks out his hand. "May I escort you into the soon-to-be world recording breaking car, Captain Gyatso?" His voice may still be somewhat pompous but he sounds sincere.

Smiling, she takes his hand and lets him pull her into the car. The inside of the car is filled with squirming, giggling bodies, and she takes a moment to grin that she'd been the one to start this whole thing and now camp morale is high and she and her friends will be on the cover of the Republic City Chronicle. Corporal Nilak nearly elbows her in the face, but Kai protects her face with his arm, causing him to fall on top of her.

"Varrick!" Zhu Li's voice sounds like it's very far away. "Varrick, I—"

"The timer, yes, excellent Zhu Li, thanks for the reminder," Colonel Varrick replies before scurrying out of the car and back to the camera.

"Hi," Kai says. They're barely three inches apart, and Jinora hopes that no one can tell how much she's shaking. She can count every one of his eyelashes.

"Hi," Jinora answers, her reply barely audible. Her voice is soft, much softer than his. Almost out of reflex, like something inside is controlling her, she starts to lean in and nearly completes the distance between them when the click and flash of the camera and the cheers of the doctors and nurses startle them apart. "I—that wasn't—"

Kai's cheeks are bright red. "Yeah, no, of course not—"

"Well, it's just that—"

"—you've got a fiancé and I totally get it—"

"—nothing happened anyway, should we—"

"—get out of here? Yes. Yes we should."

Korra and Opal are helping everyone get out of the car, and when Kai gets out he rushes to check how the picture turned out, saying something about his good side. Jinora's still embarrassed that they'd nearly kissed and feels like she should slap herself. _You're engaged, you enormous twit._

When Bolin exits the car, he nearly trips over his own two feet in his haste to get to a beaming Opal. "So, O-Opal," he stutters, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Jinora and Kai shush everyone around them. "I—uh, um—I just—I was wondering if, ah…" He gets down on one knee, and the entire camp goes silent, even Varrick and Zhu Li. "Opal Beifong, you've made this last year in Uijeongbu worthwhile. So it would—I was wondering if, ah, if you'd—if marry you me. Ah, if you'd marry me. Marry me, Opal?"

Opal's hands are covering her mouth and tears are in her eyes. Bolin's shaking from his position down on one knee, holding out his opal ring. "Yes," she finally answers with a grin bright enough to power Republic City for a month. "Yes, Bolin, I'll marry you."

"YES!" Bolin leaps to his feet, picks Opal up and spins her around, both of them laughing jubilantly and after he stops and places the ring on her finger she cups his face in her hands and kisses him. "I love you, Opal."

"I love you too, Bolin."

"Captain Lieng and Lieutenant Beifong, congratulations on your engagement, but I'm afraid that we're about to be inundated by the wounded heading this way by choppers." Zhu Li's voice is stiff, and Jinora realizes that she isn't joking. Sure enough, the telltale whirring of the choppers is loud in the distance. The happy mood brought on by Bolin and Opal's engagement pops like a soap bubble.

Colonel Varrick breaks the silence first. "Are you sure, Zhu Li?" At Zhu Li's nod, he breaks into action. "Alright. Bolin, Opal, you guys can celebrate later—let's get up to the chopper landing pad. Zhu Li, Kai, Mako, go and prep the OR. Understood?"

Affirmatives are hastily muttered as everyone rushes off to do Varrick's bidding. Jinora's lungs and legs are aching by the time she reaches the top of the chopper landing pad. Three choppers full of wounded and groaning soldiers. Spirits, this'll be a long night, and on Opal and Bolin's engagement day too. She feels bad for the happy couple, having to spend their engagement day in surgery.

Suddenly, a strangled yell causes her and Opal to whirl around in shock. Korra's collapsed onto her knees and she's clutching the hand of an unconscious raven-haired lieutenant lying prone on a stretcher. "Asami, Asami can you hear me?" she keeps on saying, looking seconds away from bursting into tears. "Asami, it's me, Korra. Can you open your eyes for me?"

A man bearing the insignia of colonel taps Korra on the shoulder and Korra spins around. If anything her expression doesn't ease, it hardens and darkens. "What the hell, Colonel Ximena?" Jinora inwardly flinches at Korra's blatant display insubordination. Gone is the happy, excited Korra they'd seen barely ten minutes ago. Now she looks ready to kill someone. "What in the world happened to the 4077th?"

"I just came to drop off my soldiers, _Major_ ," the colonel snaps. "I ordered them to check out Tianjiao and the next thing I know three people from the 221st are dead, seven people from my unit need to have amputations and my second in command Lieutenant Sato is practically in a coma. And I warn you, Major, not to speak to me like that again. You're verging on insubordination."

Korra looks ready to breathe fire. "You complete idiot, of course your soldiers are injured! Tianjiao's a field planted entirely with land mines—I'm surprised your unit got out of there alive. And my language may be tap-dancing on the border of insubordination, but you're such an unbelievable example of walking fertilizer that it's hard for me to care." Colonel Ximena's jaw hangs open. To Nurse Kiyi, Nurse Yamato and Opal, Korra snaps, "Get Lieutenant Sato and her unit into pre-op _now_."

Opal nods frantically and helps Nurse Yamato heft Lieutenant Sato's stretcher down the hill. Jinora begins examining the other patients while Colonel Ximena slinks away. Korra moves from patient to patient, declaring some ready for pre-op and some that can wait. Colonel Varrick drives up in an ambulance, loads the patients into the back, and drives off, Korra, Nurse Kiyi, Jinora, the other nurses and the enlisted men racing behind him.

* * *

Korra paces the length of the pre-op room, gesturing and muttering expletives to herself while Varrick growls at no one in particular, "What the hell was Colonel Ximena thinking? Zhu Li, get General Raiko on the line after surgery and tell him that Colonel Ximena needs to be discharged for deliberating placing his unit in danger."

"I agree with Jinora—it just looks like a shoulder injury to me." Kai finally looks up from his vigil over the unconscious Lieutenant Sato's body while Zhu Li writes furious notes on her ever-present clipboard. "I'll go in and see how bad it is as soon as they get her under," he declares. "Opal, you're with me, okay?"

It's as though Korra's been electrocuted—she stops pacing and makes her way over to them, shaking her head. "I'm gonna work on her with you, kid," she declares, cutting off Opal before she can do or say anything. From where Jinora is performing a cursory examination of Sergeant Meilin Sabad, she's never heard anyone sound so sure of anything in her life.

Varrick doesn't look so sure. "Why don't you just let Opal do it? You don't look that relaxed."

"I'm working on her, Colonel!" Korra snaps, looking like she's a few seconds away from pulling her hair out from frustration. "Don't you get it? Imagine if Asami was Zhu Li—would you let anyone else but you operate on Zhu Li? She is my Zhu Li and I'm working on her, damnit!"

Her declaration is so loud that it actually takes Varrick aback, and a message of understanding flows between them, at least partially, so he relents, saying, "Okay, fine."

With a quick nod of gratitude, Korra goes to scrub up. Jinora exchanges a look with Kai, opening her mouth to ask why Korra's so adamant on operating on Lieutenant Sato but he places a finger to his lips. It's as clear of a sign as any that he'll tell her later. Her curiosity is peaked but she pushes it down, letting her instincts as a doctor take over. Sergeant Sabad seems like she's going to be all right, but her shoulder has sustained some muscle damage that needs to be repaired. It should be an easy surgery.

Jinora looks up at Opal, who's apparently her nurse now, and tells her to get Sergeant Sabad into the operating room. Kai, with Lieutenant Sato and Korra, is only a few seconds behind her.

* * *

In the OR, there's blood—and that's to be expected, seeing as most of the soldiers in here come in with their insides looking like beef stew or with their extremities blown off. But today it seems much, much worse. Zhu Li hasn't been able to get General Raiko on the phone and Colonel Ximena had left with the choppers, but Jinora knows that someone is going to have to pay for putting this battalion through so much hell. They've already had to perform three amputations (one leg, two arms), and Varrick is currently checking over Lieutenant Riya Tsen's bowels for any telltale glints of shrapnel. Kai and Korra, on the other hand, have still been working on Lieutenant Sato for over half an hour, and Jinora's starting to get worried. What if her injury is worse than she and Kai had thought?

Eventually Jinora asks if everything is alright.

"It's not as bad as we thought," Korra says, her voice tinged with obvious hints of relief. "There's some muscle damage in her shoulder but the vital organs in her chest are okay."

"Thank Raava for that," Kai says, echoing Jinora's thoughts and taking out a final piece of shrapnel. "I think we can start to close up now and get to our next patient."

"A-are you sure? Are you sure that everything is out? I—there could be something in there—"

Kai shrugs. "You're her nurse, Asami. You tell me. Anything out of the ordinary bothering you about Lieutenant Sato's shoulder?" After a moment's hesitation, Korra shakes her head and helps Kai close up. "Thanks, Korra. Corporal Nilak, get her into post-op. Be gentle, please, for both her sake and Major Iluak's."

Corporal Nilak promises to be careful, and Lieutenant Sato is placed on a stretcher and carried out of the operating room. "Next patient, please," Kai says, receiving a new, fresh pair of gloves from Nurse Yamato. "Thanks Zin. Korra, you ready?"

Korra's gaze is somewhere far away, past the doors of the OR and with Lieutenant Sato, but she nods, Kai's voice bringing her back to the present. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm ready."

* * *

In the end, they're only in the operating room for a measly seven hours. Jinora's neck is cramping and her back aches and despite her rubber gloves her hands stink of blood. She's not tired, though, so when Kai suggests they go into the Swamp and play some cards to ease their minds before their shifts in post-op, she agrees. Bolin and Opal are already there. Zhu Li hadn't wanted to play; she'd elected to stay inside and call General Raiko to alert him of Colonel Ximena's stupidity. Varrick, Korra, Nurse Kiyi and Mako are currently in post-op looking after their patients. Luckily there've been no casualties today.

"So," Jinora says, taking a sip from her martini. Spirits, it tastes like gasoline, but it feels nice going down and besides, she could use some alcohol right now. "Is anyone going to tell me about why Korra cares for Lieutenant Sato so much?"

Opal and Bolin exchange glances. Kai finally speaks up, setting his cards down. "Korra and Lieutenant Sato are together," he explains. "Romantically."

"Oh." Jinora blinks, taken slightly aback. "Yes, I suppose that makes sense." Really, she should have guessed that.

"They've been together since before they enlisted, honestly," Opal chimes in. "Korra's a nurse, so she came here. Lieutenant Sato's an engineer, so they sent her out to the four-oh-seven-seventh. They've kept up a long distance relationship and try to coordinate their vacation times so they can go on leave together."

"Does everyone know but me?"

"Mako knows but he's somewhat in denial because he likes Korra and can't comprehend that that's why she's been refusing his advances," Bolin says with a shrug. "Once he pushes past the denial, then he'll be fine with it just like everyone else. Colonel Varrick's had all the bigots transferred out of here, thankfully."

"Good." Jinora's voice is firm. "My—my youngest brother—he's like Korra, he's homosexual, and if anyone was rude to him then I'd…well, I'm glad that she's not facing bigotry here." She coughs, setting down her drink. "Will Lieutenant Sato be alright?"

"Yeah, and hopefully she'll wake up during Korra's shift," Kai says, raising his glass in a mock toast. "Otherwise Korra will tear apart anyone that stands in her way of Lieutenant Sato."

After two games of poker—both of which Jinora loses—she and Kai are called to post-op to begin their twelve-to-four shifts. Since they've been inundated with half the soldiers from the 4077th, post-op now looks like a refugee camp rather than a restful place to cooperate. Gurneys double as beds for those with minor wounds, and Nurse Kiyi, Nurse Yamato, Opal, and three other nurses keep flying back and forth between the more seriously wounded men and women. Korra's just sitting by Lieutenant Sato's bedside, holding her hand. It's two hours past the end of her shift and she still hasn't left. No one has tried to make her leave, not even Varrick or Zhu Li. Jinora tries not to disturb either of them as she checks the lieutenant's vitals, but Korra speaks up. "Hi, Jinora," she says weakly, sniffling. "How is she?"

"Pulse forty-six, BP one hundred and fifteen over eighty," she answers. She wants to say that Lieutenant Sato will be better soon, but Jinora's a doctor and Korra's a nurse—they know better than that. Frankly, Lieutenant Sato looks awful. A bandage covers most of her torso, numerous cuts and bruises mar her face. IV tubes trail across her bed. The rise and fall of her chest is barely discernible. Her pulse and blood pressure may be at a normal pace but the rest of her still has some catching up to do. "Korra, her wounds aren't bad. You and Kai are the best nurse-doctor team in the 6152nd—next to me and you, of course." Her joke falls flat but she keeps going. "My point is, Lieutenant Sato—Asami will be fine. I know how much she means to you, Korra."

Korra jolts and nearly falls off her stool, furiously blushing. "You—ah, are you okay with it?"

"Of course I am," Jinora replies, a bit flabbergasted that Korra would take her for a bigot. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I dunno—it's just that…" Korra's stammers are cut off by a moan from Lieutenant Sato's bedside and the head nurse's attention is immediately fixated on her girlfriend. "Asami? Asami, it's Korra, can you hear me? Jinora, she's—"

"Lieutenant Sato?" Jinora asks, already crouching next to Asami. "Asami? My name's Dr. Gyatso, can you wake up for me please?"

Eventually, Asami's eyes flutter open and Jinora sees that her eyes are a vivid emerald green. Her pupils are also a bit dilated, but she supposes that's to be expected. "Lieutenant Sato, do you know where you are?"

Asami's words are rough and hoarse. "—h-hospital?"

"You're at a M*A*S*H unit, the 6152nd," Jinora says, keeping calm for both of them. "My name's Dr. Gyatso. Can you tell me your name?"

"Sato. Lieutenant. Serial number 442689567." She hacks out a cough. The long sentence had probably tired her out. "Call me Asami."

Korra looks seconds away from bursting into tears as she leans into Asami's line of vision. "Hey, 'Sami."

Asami tilts her head and a genuine smile blossoms on her lips. "Hey, Korra. How—h'long've I been out?"

"For the better part of the day," Korra admits before moving forward and pressing a kiss to Asami's forehead. "I'm so glad that you're okay, I was really worried about you, I didn't know—"

"I'm—I'm okay. I've just got a Spirits-damned headache." Asami rubs her head and props herself up on her elbows. Her face immediately tinges green, and Jinora hands Asami a bucket right before she empties the contents of her stomach into it. "Agh. Where's Colonel Ximena? Spirits—next time he tells my team to walk into a land mine to check from N-double-F's I'm going to push him in there myself." The long sentence causes Asami to hack up a wad of tan sputum into her bucket. Jinora notes its characteristics on her clipboard and classifies it as a normal reaction.

Korra seems to notice it too. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Nausea and a headache. Don't worry, I'm okay. Nothing I can't handle." Asami takes a deep breath and tilts her head in Jinora's general direction. "How are the rest of my soldiers, Doctor?"

"No casualties, luckily. Sergeant Rin, Corporal Jing and Lieutenant Fen have had amputations, but if you send them to Capital City I can arrange a meeting and get them prosthetics. Everyone else seems to be alright. Sergeant Sabad is still unconscious but that's about all. Everyone else in your unit has woken up."

"Thank Raava. I hope Meilin will be alright. Her husband Keisai worries enough about her as it is." Asami bites her lip. "No, she'll pull through. I'm sure of it." To Korra, she says. "So, catch me up on some things. I bet your letters haven't done your adventures here justice."

Jinora takes that as her cue to leave and go stand beside Kai, who's standing in the middle of the aisle holding his clipboard. "They're good for each other," he comments, putting his arm around Jinora's shoulders. Jinora's surprised at herself for actually relaxing when Kai doesn't remove his arm. "Don't you think?"

"Yeah, I do," Jinora says, smiling up at Kai. When their eyes meet, his green on her brown, a shiver goes up and down her spine and she _knows_. It's as though every moment in her life has led up to this very realization that she likes him.

She, Dr. Jinora Gyatso, fiancée of Republic City steel tycoon Akash Chow, likes Dr. Kai Wen, her alcoholic, funny, whimsical, sweet, caring roommate.

She likes him.

 _Well_ , she thinks with a horrible sense of impending doom, s _hit_.


	4. A Farewell to Colonels

At first, Kai tries to stop thinking about Yung's allegation that he likes Jinora and attempts to move on with his life. Even if she weren't engaged and he actually _did_ like her, there's no way that she'd ever like someone like him. He's a country doctor from Yu Dao who works at his father's practice and she's—well, she's smart and beautiful and funny and an amazing doctor and so far out of his league that they may as well be on separate sides of the world. Besides, he doesn't like her in that way. They're just friends.

His rebuttal weakens with every passing day. As they work together in the OR and drink or play cards or just talk together outside of surgery, he grows to appreciate and like her even more. He'd thought that she'd burn out within a week of coming here like some other doctors that had transferred to the 6152nd but Jinora's different. She's not fragile or weak, she has a backbone of steel and holds her head high and isn't afraid to tell him or Mako or Korra off when they're engaging in inappropriate behavior. She's loud and intelligent and stubborn and for the first time since…since Skoochy, he starts to heal and accepts her as his friend.

But then things start changing. He starts thinking more and more of Yung's allegation, and denying it gets harder and harder with every passing day. During especially long sessions of meatball surgery, he keeps stealing glances at her, and makes more excuses to talk with her when he could be talking or seducing nurses. And yet, he thinks that he really learns just how gone for her he is when they're squished on top of each other in Varrick's Satomobile and they almost kiss, their lips almost meet, but then the camera goes off and they break apart and fervently deny everything. He knows he likes her in a more-than-just-friends way when he can't stop imagining all through surgery and his shift in post-op how it would have felt to kiss her.

He, Kai Wen, an alcoholic country doctor from Yu Dao with ten yuans to his name, likes Jinora Gyatso, an engaged, brilliant, beautiful woman who is quite unlike anyone he's ever met.

Damn it all to hell.

* * *

At around four in the morning when Kai _should_ be sleeping, he and the others are working their way through another batch of wounded soldiers. They may be short on sleep and good working conditions and edible food and B+ blood and X-rays, yet they're never short on wounded. At this point Kai is pretty sure that he can resection a bowel in his sleep. When Zhu Li comes in with her usual grimace and no twinkle in her eyes, he's sure that she's about to announce either that there are more wounded heading this way or that the mess sergeants are attempting to cook meatloaf again.

"Sir," Zhu Li says, obviously addressing Varrick because she doesn't call anyone 'sir' but him, "sir, you'll never guess what I found in this morning's mail."

Varrick looks apprehensive under his surgical mask. Korra takes over operating on the soldier while he speaks with Zhu Li, who's holding her beret over her mouth as a makeshift surgical mask. "Don't tell me it's another letter from my councilman. I already air-mailed him twenty yuans."

"No." Zhu Li actually chuckles, causing Mako and Jinora and Bolin and Kai to look over at her funny. Zhu Li hardly ever laughs, least of all in public. Something must really be up. "You're going home."

Kai releases an involuntary gasp. Jinora's jaw drops. Varrick's eyes look ready to pop out of their sockets and he nearly drops his scalpel into his patient's chest cavity. "I'm…I'm going home?"

"It's true, sir. You've got all your points. They're discharging you." Even though Zhu Li doesn't look particularly pleased that Varrick is going home without her, she sounds happy. She holds up a piece of paper with Varrick's name, rank, and serial to prove her words. Sure enough, every box is checked.

"Discharged?" Varrick parrots, and he doesn't look like he believes her, like any second Zhu Li will take it back and tell her commanding officer that he's going to be stuck in Uijeongbu with them forever. "I'm going home?"

"Yes, sir," Zhu Li confirms. "To Gaoling, then to Republic City and then home."

Varrick's hands are still working but it's clear that his mind is elsewhere. "I'm going home," he repeats for the third time in a row, and this time his smile is visible even through his surgical mask. "I'm going—oh my Raava. It's real. Spirits, I'm discharged, I'm going home!"

Even though all of them wish that they were as fortunate as Varrick—Kai hasn't seen Yung since he got here, Jinora probably misses her fiancé and her family, Opal's family is all the way back in Zaofu, and Mako in particular looks like he wishes it'd been him to get his discharge papers—the operating room explodes in a sea of congratulations and happy sayings. "Congratulations, Colonel, that's terrific news," Jinora tells him, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she smiles.

"Good for you, Colonel," Mako says. Korra and Opal and Bolin and the nurses offer up their congratulations a few moments later.

"For he's a jolly good fellow," Kai sings, and everyone joins in, "for he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fe-e-ellow…which nobody can deny!" Kai grins once the song is finished and begins to close on his patient. Thankfully Sergeant Siku doesn't need anything more than to have some shrapnel taken out and a few stitches. "Good for you, Varrick."

Varrick's going home. Maybe the war really is ending.

* * *

Everyone reconvenes in Varrick's office after surgery is completed and they've had a few hours of sleep—everyone being Kai, Jinora, Varrick, Zhu Li, Bolin and Korra. It's all so weird, Kai thinks. He'll miss Varrick, of course. The man's been his CO ever since Kai had stepped foot in Uijeongbu, and for all of Varrick's incompetence as a good commanding officer, he's a funny guy, a good friend and drinking buddy, as well as an excellent doctor, and he'll definitely be missed. Kai takes a look at Varrick's papers when they head his way and gets a fuzzy feeling in his gut when he reads the date that Varrick is leaving: one day from now. The army's certainly efficient, he'll give them that.

Varrick's a bit drunk from the alcohol Zhu Li had poured and the euphoria that he's finally getting out of the shithole that is Uijeongbu. He keeps prattling on about how he can't wait to go back to his practice because he's sure that Jaya Jang, the lady he has running the place, has completely ruined it and how he's going to take a real shower and eat fast food and visit his brother in the Northern Water Tribe. It's a bit annoying but Kai tolerates it because he's never seen Varrick this perpetually happy before.

"Sir," Zhu Li finally says, "ah, well…" She rubs the back of her neck awkwardly. "I'm, ah, we're all certainly going to miss you around here."

Varrick blinks owlishly down at his company clerk and lover as though he'd forgotten she'd been there. "Oh, well, ah, I'm going to miss you too, Zhu Li. A-all of you. You've all really made this shithole—sorry, ladies—this hellhole bearable this last year."

"Colonel, if you and Zhu Li want to take a moment to say goodbye privately, then by all means," Kai says with a smirk, raising his glass of bourbon. He exchanges glances with Korra, Bolin and Jinora, both of whom share his sentiments. "We all know how to make ourselves scarce."

"No, I'm fine," Varrick says, waving Kai off before he takes another sip of bourbon, his face scrunching up. No matter how much they all drink around here, it's still disgusting going down. Their best moonshine concoction had tasted like gasoline. Kai shrugs, but as he moves to sit over by Jinora near the filing cabinet, he catches a glimpse of Zhu Li's face. It's hard to tell—she always looks so stoic and composed—but he thinks that the company clerk looks almost…disappointed. As though she'd expected Varrick to say yes. Interesting.

Kai then looks over at Jinora, and a line of understanding passes between them. If there's one thing he can pick that he likes about their friendship, it's that they can communicate without speaking out loud. Korra and Mako can do it, as can Varrick and Zhu Li and Bolin and Opal. He's pretty sure that when Lieutenant Sato and her unit have to leave, Korra and Asami's kiss goodbye is worth a thousand words. "Varrick," he begins. Varrick gives a grunt to show he's listening. "Me and Mako and Bolin were thinking, we're going to take you to Luoxi's tonight."

After Kai glares at Mako to tell him to go along with this, Mako nods fervently. "Yes, ah, it's true," he says. "As a send-off, sort of."

Bolin nods too, and when he speaks his voice is steady. The psychiatrist part comes in handy quite often whenever he needs to lie. "Yeah, sir, you should definitely join us. Luoxi's hasn't been the same without you."

Varrick's eyes brighten. "I have to admit I've missed going to Luoxi's. They serve a really good sake bomb." He side-eyes Zhu Li, grinning. "Remember Zhu Li? When you and I had beer and sake and decided to combine them together to make a sake bomb and now—"

"And now they always serve it," Zhu Li says with a smile. "I remember, sir."

Varrick coughs and turns away from the company clerk quickly. "Ah, yes. Well, Kai, I'll definitely join you and Bolin and Mako. Say, eight o'clock?"

"In that case, Zhu Li," says Jinora, right on schedule, "Korra and Opal and I were planning on having a girl's night in tonight. Would you like to join us?"

"It won't be anything fancy," Opal adds.

"Just some tea, gossip and good company," Korra says, interrupting Opal. She's much better at lying than Mako. "But we'd love to have you and I guarantee it'll be much more fun than sitting here and doing paperwork all the livelong day."

As Kai's plan hinges on Zhu Li agreeing and he doesn't really expect the company clerk to, he's pleasantly surprised when she nods, telling Jinora that she'll meet them at eight o'clock in Korra's tent. When they leave Varrick's office fifteen minutes later so he and Zhu Li can start packing, Jinora corners him near the supply tent. "I assume that your plan is to fix whatever's going on between Zhu Li and Varrick," Jinora says.

"Pretty much, yeah. I'll talk to Bo and Mako and tell them that the entire time we're at Luoxi's we need to tell Varrick that he can't treat Zhu Li like this." Kai shrugs. "I assume you and Korra and Opal will be telling Zhu Li that he doesn't mean what he says, that he's just distracted."

"Pretty much, yeah," Jinora echoes with a small smile. "We can't have Colonel Varrick leave without having him and Zhu Li make up first."

"If they don't we can always delay his helicopter out of here," Kai jokes and checks his watch. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Jinora fiddling with her engagement ring and feels a familiar rush of melancholy. "Anyways, I have to go. I've got a shift in post-op this morning."

"Try not to have too much fun without me," Jinora says by way of farewell as he waves goodbye to her and walks away, trying not to think again of how much more fun his shift in post-op would be if she were there with him.

* * *

If it's possible to fall in love with a ramshackle bar and grill in a middle of a warzone, then Kai's accomplished it. The inside of Luoxi's is heavily decorated with Earth Kingdom relics, art, and tapestries, though it maintains some modern touches, such as the electric lights and radio over the bar blaring the Earth Kingdom national anthem. Tables are scattered across the place, each one square-shaped and made from brown and gold wood, and can seat up to five people. It's a lively place that reeks of delicious scents and spices, although Kai happens to like it because of the nice people that own it and the fact that they possess alcohol that doesn't taste like fermented piss.

Before they leave for Luoxi's, Kai makes sure to tell Mako and Bolin of his and Jinora's plan. Bolin thinks that it's sweet, and Mako thinks that it's good that Kai's actually helping people with his plans rather than harming them. Mako also says that Jinora's been a good influence on him, but Kai doesn't need Mako to tell him that. Honestly, he's spent more time pining over Jinora these last few months than planning a prank to harm someone's reputation.

Of course, as is custom in Luoxi's, they all begin drinking the second their hostess escorts them to their table. Varrick orders his usual sake bomb, Mako sticks to a beer, Bolin asks for a cactus juice and Kai gets a beer. For the first hour, they all talk about home. Mako and Bolin talk about their grandmother in the Earth Kingdom, Kai mentions Yung and thinks of their house, how he can still picture every detail down to the scuffs in the floorboards and the tables. Spirits, he misses Yung. He resolves to write him another letter when they get back from Luoxi's.

"Y'know," Varrick hiccoughs, "you wouldn't think it by looking at her, but Zhu Li's got the most fantastic body this side of the world. Thirty-four, twenty-four, thirty-six. With skin like porcelain—clear and soft, smooth and warm, and kissing her is like being electrocuted. But like, in a good way."

Not for the first time, Kai's mind segues back to his and Jinora's moment in Varrick's Satomobile, where their lips had almost touched. Would kissing Jinora be the same way? Would he ever get the nerve to ignore her engagement ring, practically shackling her to someone stateside who's probably sleeping around and doesn't deserve her, and lean in and kiss her? He clears his throat, saving his thoughts for another day. "So, ah, Varrick, that isn't the only reason you like Zhu Li, yeah?"

"No, of course not," Varrick answers, offended. "She's smart, too, damn smart. Like a firecracker. Always tells me when I'm being idiotic. Do ya know that she practically runs this place? If it weren't for her then this place would've gone under ages ago." He coughs. "Honestly, she…she's great. She should be the one wearing the colonel's bars instead of those sergeant's stripes." Suddenly he starts laughing. "Do you—do you recall that one time, Kai, when—when Bolin walked in and caught me and Zhu Li together naked in my office?"

He does, actually, and the memory's enough to make him laugh. "Yeah, you said you were giving her a lecture on the importance of clean underwear."

Bolin flushes. He'd been the last—not counting Jinora—to know about Varrick and Zhu Li's affair, and he'd actually believed Varrick's story about the clean underwear lecture. It'd been the talk of camp for at least four days. "Ah, that aside, Varrick, I don't think you were very nice to Zhu Li earlier today."

Varrick's eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Whaddya mean? I was as nice to her as I usually am. We even kissed when you all left my office—whoops, I wasn't supposed to tell you that."

"It's okay, Varrick, we all kind of figured," Kai says. Spirits, one twitch and he's got a monster of a headache. He pushes his beer to the side, done with drinking for the time being.

"Our point," Mako says firmly, "is that you're leaving tomorrow afternoon and I don't think you've ever told Zhu Li that you love her. You do love her, don't you sir?"

Varrick swallows, looking stone-cold sober now as he realizes his problem. "I do," he says hoarsely. "Of course I love her, Mako. It's just—well, I figured that now I'm leaving, it's better for her to have no attachments to me. That way the next guy who comes around, well, maybe she'll fall in love with them."

Kai understands now, and by the looks on Bolin and Mako's faces, so do they. "Varrick," he says gently, "Zhu Li loves you, and I know you love her, but…I think Zhu Li thinks that you just love her for the sex. You've never told her otherwise, you've just led her on to believe that this is just a dalliance that won't be continued after the war. And unless that's actually true and you're lying to us, then you need to tell her otherwise in the next," Kai checks his watch, "sixteen hours."

Four hours later, Varrick still isn't sure of how to make things up to Zhu Li—or if he is, he isn't saying anything to Kai, Mako and Bolin—and all of them are far from sober. He's going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning…oh wait, no, he's not. Yung had sent him hangover cures in his latest care package. Kai swears that Yung is the best thing to ever happen to him.

Either or, they stumble back to the 6152nd at around midnight, Varrick going to his office, Bolin going to his tent, and Mako and Kai return to the Swamp, where Jinora's waiting up for them. Mako collapses onto his cot—poor guy really can't hold his liquor—but Kai sits next to Jinora on her cot, wiping his mouth on his hand and stifling a giggle because even in the dim light Jinora still looks pretty. "Hey, so what'd—what'd Li Zhu say?"

"Zhu Li," Jinora corrects patiently, looking like she's seconds away from laughing, "says pretty much what we expected. It took us a bit but we finally got her to admit that Varrick leaving's impacted her a lot because she loves him but she isn't sure if Varrick really loves her."

Kai blinks once. Then twice. "Varrick thinks so too," he says. It takes three times as much effort to think tonight. "Well, he loves her and she loves him but he doesn't know how to show it."

Jinora shrugs one shoulder. "He's Varrick," she says by way of explanation. "He's got…" She grabs Kai's wrist and checks his watch. "He's got twelve hours to figure something out. And if not, then we'll talk some more sense into him."

* * *

Something strange going on outside the Swamp wakes Kai up barely an hour after he passes out on his cot. He's got a headache despite the hangover cures he'd taken earlier. Jinora hears the noise outside too and sits up straight—Mako's stirring too, and he could sleep through a tornado if given the opportunity. If Kai squints through the tent fabric, he can see the lanterns in the neighboring tents being turned on.

Kai goes outside, wrapping himself in his red bathrobe on the way, and his jaw nearly drops to his knees as he sees Varrick strumming a guitar and singing outside of Zhu Li's tent. "If you weren't with me, I'd be in agony, and I'd be like Tianjiao without the sea," he sings as she exits her tent with a stunned expression on her face. "I'd be like golf without a tee, and like a leg without a knee—basically I'd be miserable, you see? I never could have imagined how good my life would be, from the moment I met you, Zhu Li." He strums his guitar thoughtfully before switching to a more famous love ballad. "I'll know when my love comes along, I'll know then and there, on some fly-by-night stage romance, and I'll stop, and I'll stare, at that face in the crowd—"

The stunned expression on Zhu Li's face hasn't eased. "Varrick?"

Quickly, he switches back to the song that Kai doesn't recognize. Varrick must have written it himself. "Ever since I met you, you turned my world around," he sings, "you're my best friend and my lover, you can't have one without the other! No, I couldn't have imagined, how good my life would be, from the moment that I met you, Zhu Li."

"Varrick?" Zhu Li edges closer to him. "Varrick, not that I'm complaining, but why are you serenading me at one in the morning?"

"Because, well." Varrick sets down his guitar on the ground and steps closer to Zhu Li. Kai has to strain to hear him now. "Because I've been an idiot, Zhu Li. In all our time we spent together I never told you how much you mean to me, and even though I'm going home now and you're still here, I'll never forget you or stop loving you. Zhu Li Moon, I have and will always love you." He traces her face with one hand. "I'll miss you when I'm gone more than anyone else, you know. I don't care if you can make my coffee right or file papers perfectly or any of that—you're smart and funny and beautiful, Zhu Li." Losing momentum, he pauses for a moment. "What I'm trying to say is, when this hellish war ends and you get to go home, there'll always be a place at my practice and home for you and—Zhu Li, are you _crying_?" Now he sounds like he's panicking. "Shit—I didn't mean—well, I did, I meant everything, but I didn't mean to make you cry…"

His stammers are interrupted when Zhu Li throws her arms around him in a fierce hug. Looking as though he's been poleaxed, Varrick responds in kind, patting her on the back awkwardly with a huge grin on his face. "I love you, Varrick," Zhu Li says, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

"I love you too, Zhu Li," Varrick answers, pulling her closer and pressing his lips to hers.

Kai shakes his head, grinning as well. They'd done it. Jinora steps up beside him, and out of reflex he puts his arm around her. She stiffens but quickly relaxes into his grip. "We did good," he comments to his partner in crime, who's beaming as bright as Varrick.

"It's 'well', not 'good'," Jinora corrects him, and he playfully rolls his eyes. She leans her head on his shoulder, and a flush rises on his cheeks. Thank Raava it's dark out. "But yes, we did."

They turn to look at one another, and for a moment Kai debates pulling Jinora close to him and pressing his lips to hers, but his urge dissipates. It's not the right moment, anyway, and besides, no matter how strongly he feels about her she doesn't reciprocate his feelings. He pulls her into a tight hug instead. Now, it's just them, two best friends, hugging under the moon and stars in Uijeongbu, and that's just fine with him.

* * *

Varrick's last few hours at the 6152nd are spent in his tent drawing up last-minute contingencies and talking more with Zhu Li (although everyone suspects that they're doing more than just talking in there, but there's no way to prove it). Korra, who Varrick has elected will be in charge of their unit when he leaves, orders everyone to line up when Varrick finally leaves his tent with the last of his bags and Zhu Li at his side. The colonel looks ready to cry as everyone salutes him at once, even Kai, who has never shown respect for military customs like saluting and polishing combat boots.

"At ease, everyone." Korra smiles sheepishly at Varrick, who wipes his eyes. Zhu Li scurries over to Korra's side for the proceedings. "Does the colonel wish to review his troops?"

"Uh, no," Varrick says, shaking his head. "I just want to say goodbye." Moving past Korra, he goes down every single row of people, all sixty of them, greeting everyone by name and whispering his own formal goodbyes. He tells Bolin to invite him to his and Opal's wedding, he hugs Opal and tells to keep Bolin sane. He tells Mako to loosen up once in a while but to keep things running smoothly now that he's second in command. He tells Korra that he knows she'll be a great leader now that he's gone and to keep him posted on everything that's going on. When he gets to Jinora, he hugs her briefly. "I wish I could have known you longer," he says almost by way of apology. "But you're one hell of a doctor and a human being, Jinora, and I'll miss you."

"Thank you, Colonel," Jinora answers, tears in her eyes. "I'll miss you too."

Finally, Varrick stands in front of Kai. With a embarrassed smile eerily reminiscent of Korra's, the colonel extends his hand. "So long, Kai," he says.

Now tears are in Kai's eyes and he can't stop them from blurring his vision. "I'm afraid just a handshake won't do it, Varrick," he replies, and hugs Varrick tightly. They'd spent over a year of their lives in this hellhole together, and now it's finally catching up to him that Varrick is free, that unless there's a miracle, he'll never hear from or see Varrick again. "So long."

When Varrick's chopper comes down to take him to Gaoling, the pilot grabs a quick cup of coffee from the mess tent before telling Varrick that they need to get going if he's going to catch his flight from Gaoling to Republic City. After Korra and Mako and Opal and Bolin and Kai and Jinora give him last hugs and well-wishes, Varrick leaps into the seat next to the pilot, the chopper's blades whirring so loudly that Kai can barely hear himself think.

Then the next thing Kai knows Varrick is leaving the chopper and before he can scream _what the hell are you doing you idiot, don't let it leave without you_ , Varrick's arms are around Zhu Li and they're kissing, kissing so passionately that Kai kind of feels like he should look away. Eventually the two lovers break apart, and Zhu Li looks star-struck. Not only is this the first time they've kissed in public, but it'd been so full of love and enthusiasm it seemed like something out of a mover.

"I love you, Zhu Li," Varrick shouts, barely making himself heard over the chopper blades. "I'll see you back stateside, alright?"

Zhu Li nods and says something to Varrick that Kai can't make out. Whatever it is causes Varrick to grin, and when the pilot yells at him, the colonel returns to the chopper, buckling himself up. The chopper lifts off the ground and slowly flies off toward the horizon, becoming smaller and smaller with each passing second.

Jinora places a supporting hand on Zhu Li's shoulder. "Hey," she says gently, "you'll see him again before you know it."

Zhu Li takes in a shaky breath. "Yes, you're right," she answers, squaring her shoulders and holding her chin up. After they spend a few more minutes watching the horizon—even after they can't see Varrick's chopper anymore—they all walk down the hill back to the 6152nd together.

* * *

A day and a half after Varrick's discharge, Kai can't help but marvel at how quiet it feels around here. Korra may be in charge now but it isn't half bad—she definitely knows how to run the place better than Varrick did. Zhu Li doesn't mind working for her, but the company clerk has been a bit distracted lately. Kai thinks that she's just excited for Varrick's phone call once he gets back stateside. Bolin begins planning his and Opal's wedding—he says that if the war doesn't end soon then he wants their wedding to be here in Uijeongbu, with Zhu Li performing the ceremony. Opal says that she wants Korra and Jinora to be her bridesmaids, and Bolin wants Kai and Mako to be his groomsmen. Jinora and Kai have started planning to dye Mako's civvies pink.

Their CO may be gone and life may be going on as usual but the wounded still keep coming. They've been working in the operating room for over two hours when Zhu Li enters the room looking like she's been whacked in the head with something heavy. Everyone, especially Korra, is surprised that she's wandered in here practically shell-shocked without a surgical mask—and that's Kai's first intention that something has to be horribly wrong.

Jinora's the first to ask if anything is the matter. "Are you alright, Zhu Li?"

"If that's my discharge, just give it to me straight," Kai says, trying to lighten the mood and focus on the soldier in front of him at the same time. "I swear I can take it."

If anything, the mention of the discharge makes Zhu Li looked even more despondent and miserable. She looks seconds away from tears but then she steels herself, clenching her fists. "I have a message," she announces. "Colonel Iknik...Blackstone Varrick…" Her voice cracks on his name, and the sounds of surgery around them practically cease then and there. Kai's right. Something really bad has happened. "His plane...it was shot down...over the—the Si Wong Desert."

Kai's heart is thudding in his chest so loudly that he's sure everyone can hear it. Korra's face is pale over her surgical mask. Mako's knuckles are white on his scalpel. Jinora's breath hitches. All of the nurses look terrified. Bolin and the enlisted men and women look ready to lose their lunch.

"It...it spun in and…" A tear trickles down Zhu Li's face and she doesn't even bother wiping it aside. She takes a shaky breath and finishes her sentence. "There were no survivors."

At first, Kai kind of thinks it's a joke, that Zhu Li's just messing with all of them and Varrick's going to pop up out of nowhere and yell, "Surprise!" But no, he takes a closer look at the company clerk's face and realizes that she isn't kidding. Tears, multiple tears are oozing down her cheeks now, and he barely sees her crumpled face before she rushes out of the room as quickly as she'd come in.

Varrick is dead. Their eccentric, socially-awkward, funny, nonmilitary commanding officer is dead. His plane had been shot down over the Si Wong Desert.

He's dead.

Kai can't wrap his mind around it. Varrick can't be dead. He—he's supposed to go home. He's supposed to be home by now, back at his medical practice and awaiting Zhu Li's discharge so she can join him and they can run it together. They'd all made plans. He can't be dead, not now. Not like this. This is no way to die.

Kai had never imagined Varrick in pieces before, falling from the sky and into the hot desert amidst the wreckage of what had once been a plane. But now that unimaginable picture overlays every other image he has of the colonel.

At the edge of his world, he hears rather than sees someone drop one of the surgical instruments on the ground with a hollow thud. Looking around, he sees that both Korra and Mako are crying, and he catches a glimpse of the edge of Bolin's jacket as he runs out of the OR and after Zhu Li, probably to make sure that she won't do anything stupid.

Jinora places a hand on his shoulder, jarring him back to the present. He sees that her surgical mask is stained with tears and slowly realizes that he's crying too. "Kai," she says quietly. "You need to get back to your patient."

Kai's been operating on the kid halfheartedly now, lost in thought, and at Jinora's prodding he returns to his operation, his mind back on his job. He has to focus on something other than this or he may just lose his damn mind.

While he's working, the noise in the operating room slowly returns to the regular clink of instruments and underlying chorus of muttered instructions and moans from the wounded, but something's different now. There's a dark cloud hanging over all of their heads now.

Colonel Iknik Blackstone Varrick is dead, and Kai doesn't know what to do.

* * *

After a grueling seventeen hours of surgery, Kai and Jinora stumble back into the Swamp with aching backs and aching hearts. They haven't had a moment's peace since Zhu Li had come in with the news, which Kai supposes is a good thing in some weird twisted way. But once the last kid had been taken care of and moved to post-op, everyone slowly loses it. Zhu Li is in Varrick's tent crying her heart out, Korra's in her new office trying to get things settled, Bolin and Mako are at Luoxi's, and Opal and the other nurses are too stunned to say anything. Kai feels like anesthesia is running through his veins instead of blood—he feels too numb to feel anything—and all he wants to do is drink away his sorrows.

"Gin?" he asks Jinora, holding up a glass. "Made only from the finest ingredients."

She hesitates but eventually takes it. Kai can see she's warring with herself as she takes a sip and nearly chokes on their latest concoction, but eventually they both drain their glasses in silence, and then drain them for a second time. Kai drinks a third glass of questionably-made gin while Jinora twiddles her thumbs and sits next to him on his cot.

"This is really something," he finally says, setting down his glass. If four glasses of his gin back to back doesn't help then nothing will. Despite the alcohol coursing through his veins he still feels sober. "First Skoochy and now Varrick. I'm starting to think no doctors around h-here have any luck."

Jinora looks up at him. There's no pity in her eyes, only sympathy and curiosity. "Kai," she says gently, "I haven't bothered you these last few months about Skoochy, but I think that you should tell me now what happened to your friend."

"It all sounds very clinical when you say it like that," Kai says, and Jinora's hurt expression makes him feel like he'd just kicked a puppy or something deplorable like that. "Jinora, I don't want to talk about Skoochy."

"Please, Kai, you need to," she pleads. "If you keep this bottled up then sooner or later—"

Unable to stop himself, he laughs in her face. "Do you really want to know what happened to him? Fine. Fine, Jin, I'll tell you. Before you came here we had another doctor, a chest surgeon like you. He and I were foster brothers once upon a time, and his name was Skoochy Nakamura. He was a great doctor and my best friend here—people called us the Terrible Two, we did everything together. He was going to write a book about what was going to happen after this was over, about how the soldiers never hear the bullets that get them. Fascinating thing. I sent the manuscript to his mother.

"I dunno if you know this but earlier in the war things were real rough. Like, snipers came in every other month and stole our supplies. During one of our surgery sessions we were all racing down the hill to go to post-op and suddenly shots rang out and Skoochy—he…he fell. He got shot in the back."

Jinora's shaking and her voice is strident with suppressed emotion. "Oh, Spirits, Kai—"

"Kept saying that he'd actually heard the bullet that time. I performed surgery on him. He died on the table." He swallows, regretting telling her this story already. "We were down a doctor, and I lost my best friend. Now Varrick's dead too. This damn war kills everyone, Jinora. Only a matter of time before it kills me too."

Suddenly Jinora's pressed up against him, and whenever she hugs him his mind tends to short-circuit a little but this time it's different because he can feel her tears soaking into his shirt. He hates himself for making her cry but it's not even his fault. The tale of Skoochy's death mixed with the news about Colonel Varrick's death—he still can't believe it—is enough to make anyone cry. Her forehead is pressed against his clavicle and her arms are tight around him, as though he's an anchor holding her down to earth.

He moves to kiss her on the forehead—she may be engaged but kissing her on the brow is still within the bounds of friendship, isn't it?—but then she raises her head too quickly and his lips meet hers completely on accident. He knows that he should pull away and she's engaged so she should definitely pull away but both of them just linger.

When Jinora pulls away from him a second later, neither of them have the wit to just laugh it off and pretend like nothing had ever happened. It may have been a short kiss but it's one of the better ones that Kai's ever had. Jinora tastes of mint and gin and the lip gloss that her mother had sent her—it's a strange combination but it leaves him aching for more.

"Kai." Her voice is very quiet. He's suddenly stone cold sober because what if she never decides to speak to him again, what if she puts in a transfer, then he'll be all alone here and he doesn't know what he'll do with himself if she leaves him too.

"Jinora." He's just as quiet, and a thousand different things are racing through his mind at once, half of which are apologies that he doesn't mean because he doesn't want their kiss to be erased from existence. In a thousand different worlds and different times, he'll still choose not to pull away from her. "Jinora, I don't—I…" The words keep dying in his mouth every time he tries to speak, and Spirits, he wants to say something but he's not sure if he's supposed to. If the time is right. If she reciprocates his feelings at all.

"Kai, I…" She sounds shocked and confused but at least she's not telling him to go to hell. He ducks his head so he won't see the pity in her eyes. "Oh—" Her words choke off when he lifts his head and moves closer to her because damn it, in the morning they can attribute this to the alcohol. "Kai, I don't think—"

"That's a good start," he replies, his voice low, and then he kisses her again.

Her lips are soft and smooth against his. She's shaking but she doesn't push him away or knock him flat—and Kai knows that she can do it; he's seen her left hook when a visiting captain had pinched her rear. For a crazy second, he wonders if there are loopholes in engagements that say as long as Jinora doesn't respond she can get as many kisses as she wants.

Then she starts to respond and he thinks that he may have gotten more than he'd bargained for because _damn_ , she really can kiss. Eventually her arms wrap around his neck like they're dancing in the officer's club and her lips trace his. They're both breathing raggedly once they pull apart, but this time it's very brief and their lips come together again. Their kisses are electric, sparks flying between them, and it's invigorating. His tongue traces against her bottom lip, and soon her tongue is wrestling with his. He eases her backward, kissing her all the way to the ground. His hands are under her shirt, and her stomach is smooth—he's pretty sure he's currently touching skin no one has ever discovered before.

Jinora makes a strangled noise in the back of her throat and before Kai can do anything, she kisses him harder. Her legs tangle up with his, and he begins to trail quick kisses along her collarbone, slowly traveling up her neck. Her hands shift to his shoulders. He strokes the skin just beneath her belly button lightly enough to raise goosebumps, and then begins to unbutton the front of her shirt.

"Wait…" Her voice comes out as a light whisper. She clears her throat and tries again, more forceful this time, "Kai, wait."

His head snaps up immediately and his first reaction, stupid as it is, is to blink at her, slightly confused. Then the look on her face registers, full of apprehension and a bit of fear, and it's as though someone had doused him with a bucket of cold water. "Shit. Jin, I'm so sorry, I just—"

"No, no, don't be," she quickly rushes to reassure him. He can feel her heart pounding through her clothes. "I just—I—Kai, I want—I n-need time. To—to think about this."

The cautious hope that has been building up inside of him dies quickly and suddenly, like someone blowing out a candle. Kai swallows back his disappointment. "Okay," he says, his voice hoarse, and gets off her.

Jinora stands up and pushes past him, buttoning up her shirt so quickly that the buttons aren't even in the right holes. "I'm, I'm sorry," she whispers, her voice rough with an ache that he feels too. They're both standing now, both a foot away from each other, but it may as well be miles. They can never go back now.

"You're engaged," he says. "I understand."

They both look at the ring on her left hand, glinting ominously in the dim light of the Swamp. It's transformed from something trivial into a shackle, chaining Jinora to a man who doesn't deserve her and impeding Kai from showing Jinora affection. Kai wants to tear it off her finger and toss it into the Foggy Swamp.

Just just as Jinora's about to leave the Swamp, about to leave him forever, he opens his mouth. "Do you love him?"

She turns around. The sun's rising behind her, so for a second she's just a silhouette and there's brightness all around her and a shiver goes up and down his spine but then his eyes adjust and they're on equal ground again. "No," she finally says. He's not sure whether to be relieved or not. "But I'm obligated to."

The door to their tent closes softly behind her with a sort of finality, and despite the somber situation Kai has a feeling that this isn't over yet, not by a long shot.


	5. A Smattering of Intelligence

In the days following the news of Varrick's demise, the 6152nd is quiet. There haven't been any wounded flown in—it's almost like the chopper pilots know they're all in mourning and they decide to stay clear of their unit, for which Jinora is grateful. She doesn't know about Korra, Mako, Kai, Opal and the others, but she isn't ready to operate. Not now. Not yet. Not so soon. Everyone here is quiet too: Zhu Li spends most of her days crying, Korra and Mako are trying to get all of Varrick's last paperwork in order, Opal and Bolin have postponed their wedding until everything is straightened out, and everything has changed between her and Kai ever since their alcohol-tinged first kiss in the Swamp after seventeen hours of meatball surgery. She misses him, she misses having a best friend around, but every time she looks at him she can't help but be reminded of their kiss and how quickly things would have escalated had she not stopped. And Raava, ever since that fateful day she's spent her time alternating between glaring daggers at her engagement ring and thinking of how to apologize to Kai.

Jinora hates Varrick some days for leaving them all alone. If he hadn't died—if he hadn't gotten on that damn chopper—then none of this could have happened. He and Zhu Li could be happy, Bolin and Opal could officially cement their relationship, and she and Kai could still be best friends without a hint of awkwardness between them.

By the tenth day of silence and mere nods of acknowledgment she can't take it anymore and goes to Korra for advice in her new office. The major is starting to look completely overworked, what with all the papers she has to sort through. She hasn't asked Zhu Li for help either, knowing that what the woman really needs now is to mourn her lover and not focus on paperwork. "I need your help with Kai," Jinora says without further preamble.

Korra looks up, glad for the distraction. "Oh?" She raises an eyebrow and gestures for Jinora to sit in one of the chairs not covered in papers and file folders. "I've noticed there's been something up between you guys, but what specifically is wrong?"

Jinora sighs, sitting down. "Kai and I—we kissed." Korra leans forward with an eager grin on her lips, paperwork forgotten completely. Something creaks slightly behind her, but she ignores it. "And we were about to—well, you know—but then I couldn't do it and we stopped and ever since then we haven't been able to look at each other."

Korra looks serious now, for which Jinora is grateful. She doesn't want her friend to laugh at her. "Jin," she says, using the nickname that Kai and the others have been calling her these last few months. "Were you scared to have sex with Kai because of your engagement to Akash? Or is it something else? Have you never—"

"Of course not," Jinora snaps. "When would I have ever?" Realizing how petulant she sounds, she quickly apologizes. "It's not that I was scared because I'd never done it. With—with him it felt like I could do anything. Kissing Kai was…it felt like I could fly. It's just—I'm engaged, Korra. I have Akash's feelings to consider. He trusted me to come here and not cheat on him but I betrayed his trust by kissing Kai."

Korra raises and lowers her hands, almost as if she's saying _well, what can you do_ , and says, "Let me tell you something, Jin." Jinora leans forward, paying attention. "Kai's a good kid. He's been here just as long as I have. He's like my little brother, and ever since Skoochy…" She pauses, sizing Jinora up. "Do you know?"

"It's okay," Jinora says, thinking of how emotional Kai had been when he'd told her the story of Skoochy last night. "I know. Kai told me."

"Ever since Skoochy died he's been a shadow of his former self. He ran on alcohol and pulled pranks and barely slept. On the surface it seemed like nothing had changed, but only those who knew them well—like me and Mako and Varrick and Zhu Li, we could see that he was different. Then you came along, and he's started turning back into the way he was. He really likes you, Jin. And I know you like him too. If you choose to just be friends, he will respect that. But you do need to tell him that before one of you get hurt."

"Whenever Varrick and I fought," someone says, her voice hoarse and stained with tears, and Jinora and Korra both whirl around to see the despondent company clerk standing in the doorway, "we'd see who would last the longest without apologizing. Whenever one of us cracked and apologized—and it was usually him—we always forgave each other." Zhu Li takes a deep breath. "What I'm trying to say, Captain Gyatso, is that you should apologize to him and make your boundaries abundantly clear. Take it from me."

Jinora swallows the lump in her throat. "Okay," she says quietly. "Okay, I will."

"Good," Zhu Li says with a weak smile. "Now, Major Iluak," she says, marching over to the new commanding officer, "I understand why you have let me grieve this last week, and I am grateful. I will always love Varrick, but I understand…" She looks down at her hands for a split second before looking back up, stronger than ever. "I understand that he isn't coming back. Now, I also understand that you have been swamped with his paperwork because you don't understand his filing system. I was his company clerk for over a year. I understand what to do. Please let me help you."

Completely dumbfounded, Korra nods. "Okay then, Zhu Li," she says, a small smile appearing on her lips as well. "Help away."

Jinora decides to talk to Kai that afternoon. If Zhu Li, who's lost her lover and has spent the last week grieving for him, can return to work and solve her problems, than she can do it too, the awkwardness between them be damned.

She finds him at the mess tent, nursing a cup of coffee whose pungent aroma she can smell from five feet away. His hair is messy, he has bags under his eyes, and his scrubs are stained with sputum, but he's still handsome to her. "Hey," she says, and he looks up at her, surprised that they've actually acknowledged each other's presences.

"Hey," he answers, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, do you…do you want to sit down?"

She sits, for lack of anything else to do. "Kai," she says. "I'm sorry." His mouth drops slightly. "I'm sorry for leading you along that…that night—"

"No, Jin, I'm the one who should be sorry," he instantly replies, gesturing frantically with his hands. "I know you're engaged and I shouldn't have—well, I shouldn't—" He gets a hold of himself quickly, and takes a deep breath, trying to organize his thoughts into coherent words. "Look. Jin, I know you—you probably think I did what I did because I was drunk. The fact of the matter couldn't be further from the truth. What happened between us that night was because I let my guard down. Because I'm tired and afraid and because I've been attracted to you since we met in Varrick's office three months ago. I know I've flirted with you, but for the most part I've tried to respect that you're engaged and that means you're off-limits. If that kiss is the most intimate we'll ever get, then I'll be able to die a happy man."

Her heart is pounding in her throat. "Kai," she says, and her voice comes out loud and shaky. "Kai, I—you're not wrong. I'm engaged. But when we kissed—you made me feel…you made me feel like…" She can't even describe it, so she hopes a hand gesture will suffice. "I just don't know how to feel. This has all made me feel really confused about everything. I just…I want to still be friends, please. Can we still be friends?"

Jinora hates how she sounds at that moment, like she's begging him for their friendship back. But when he smiles at her like she's his sun and stars, like she's a fresh supply of penicillin after surgery, and tells her that yes, they can still be friends, she feels as though she could float away into the sky from the power of sheer happiness.

* * *

As though the generals and commanding officers of the war had been waiting for her and Kai to make up and be friends again, the very next day the 6152nd is inundated with enough wounded to fill six mobile hospitals. They all work sixteen hour shifts, and it's honestly a miracle that she doesn't fall asleep on her thirtieth patient. Jinora can't even remember the last three kids she'd operated on by the time she crawls out of the OR for a five minute break and a breath of fresh air. Nurse Yamato—who she doesn't know very well—exits right behind her, sitting down on a bench with a thud and a frown etched so deeply in his face Jinora's afraid to ask if it hurts. "Are you alright?" she asks instead.

Nurse Yamato chuckles without humor in his voice. "Ask me that again after I've slept. I promise I'll give you a different answer."

"Fair enough. But what about now?"

He sighs, as though life has exhausted him beyond belief. Not that she can blame him—they've all been working for so long that Jinora would gladly take one of the soldiers' places if it meant that she could take a break. "I was just in postop," he reveals. "One of the guys was giving Kiyi hell, y'know, so I intervened because Major Iluak was busy in the OR and didn't need to deal with this shit. The guy asked who I was. I told him I was one of his nurses. He laughed at me, saying that being a nurse was a woman's job." He looks up at her with red-rimmed eyes, running a hand through his messy black hair, making it spikier than it already is. "You know how many times I've heard that? I'm proud of my job, Cap. I like being a nurse and I don't want to be a doctor—no offense, but it just isn't me. I'm sick of getting shit for it just because I didn't go the gender-recommended path."

She understands. By Raava, she understands. How much shit had she gotten in medical school for choosing to become a doctor? How many snide looks and condescending smiles had she received after telling others her aspirations? How many male doctors had refused to take her seriously in the operating room just because of her gender? "What did you tell him?"

"I told him to go fuck himself." She lets out a low whistle. "Yeah, I know. I just…I couldn't handle that short-eared bastard anymore. So I told him to go fuck himself and left before I did something I really regretted. Major Iluak is going to kill me."

"She won't," Jinora says, determination strong in her voice. If Korra even thinks about reporting Yamato for this, then the major will be getting an earful from her. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

He grins at her. It's brief and tired, but it's still something. "Thanks, Cap."

"Just Jinora, Lieutenant," she corrects him. "I'm more than just my rank."

"Same here," he replies, sticking out his hand for her to shake, which she does. "Call me Zin."

Just as she repeats his name, the bell that signifies their break is over rings loudly, and with a grumble Zin, Jinora, and the other people on break stand up. "Best go back in," she says. "We don't want to miss anything important."

It turns out there isn't anything important going on, aside from all of them working tirelessly to save lives. There have only been two casualties during the last twenty hours in surgery, and they would all like to keep it this way. When Mako finishes working on his last patient, they all look toward Zhu Li, who shakes her head. "No one left, Doctors," she says, a statement that has them all cheering despite the level of sheer exhaustion they all feel. She's never felt so tired before, not even after pulling all-nighters during finals week in college, not even when she and her siblings had stayed up all night while her mother had been in labor with Rohan.

Korra takes over from Zhu Li, who takes that moment to leave the OR and go into the commanding officer's office, where her cot is waiting for her. "Alright everyone, get some shuteye. Someone go wake up Corporal Nilak and get him on sentry duty. Major Lieng, Captain Lieng, Lieutenant Nakahara and Lieutenant Yamato, you're on first shift in postop with me, alright? Everyone else, go to bed. Captain Wen, Captain Gyatso, Lieutenant Beifong and Lieutenant Chenguanxi, I'll come around to wake you up in four hours. Dismissed."

* * *

Jinora doesn't quite know how she ended up in her cot in the Swamp, but the next thing she knows she's being shaken awake by Zhu Li of all people. Kai's already up, putting on his bathrobe and shoes. "What's going on?"

"Captain Lieng requests your presence in postop, Captain Gyatso," Zhu Li hisses. On the next cot over, Mako snores, dead to the world. "It's important, seeing as you operated on a certain Captain Nguyen Yi."

Nguyen Yi. The name sounds somewhat familiar. He'd been the one with a serious concussion and a minimal shoulder wound. "So? What's wrong, has he relapsed?" Spirits, what if she had been so tired that she'd completely misread his wound and now he was dying because of her? She doesn't think she can handle that.

"No, Captain," Zhu Li says quietly. Kai's standing beside her now, his face a mask of serious contemplation and exhaustion. "Come with us, I'll explain inside. Captain Wen, you don't have to come with—"

"S'alright, Zhu Li, I may as well. I have to get up for my shift right about now anyways," is his flippant response. That's a lie, she notices upon looking at her watch. His shift isn't for another hour, but she isn't about to tell him to go back to bed—she's very grateful for the company.

Their walk to postop is quick, and upon arriving there Korra immediately approaches them and herds them into her conjoined office. She looks so serious that Jinora's actually a bit afraid. What had happened in the last four hours? What on earth did Captain Nguyen Yi have to do with anything? Why were her medical skills being called into question?

As usual, Kai speaks first. "Well, Korra, what's going on?"

Korra sighs, sitting down on the edge of her desk. "Jinora, I assume Zhu Li's told you about Captain Yi."

"Just that I needed to see him because I operated on him." Jinora's heart is pounding so quickly and loudly that she's pretty sure everyone can hear it. "What's wrong with him?"

"About an hour ago Nurse Kiyi went to go and check on him. He was awake, completely fine, so she went to check his vitals, to ask him some standard questions about if he knew his name, his age, his DOB, all the usual stuff. When Kiyi asked what his name was, he said that his name was Vaatu."

Jinora thinks she has cotton in her ears for a moment. "…he…he said that his name was Vaatu?" Just saying the devil's name sends shivers down her spine. Looking over at Zhu Li and Kai, she can see that the two of them aren't quite as affected as she is, but they seem taken aback. "Why? Is he serious?"

"Personally I think it's an aftereffect of the concussion," Korra says. "I asked Mako about it and he agrees. But neither of us are head surgeons or psychiatrists, so we decided to ask Bolin about it."

"And what did Bolin say?"

"Based on Bolin's preliminary diagnosis, Captain Yi is one hundred percent convinced that he's Vaatu," Korra replies grimly. _Great. This is just perfect._ "Bolin's decided to wait until he and Captain Yi have had some sleep to officially diagnose him, though. This isn't just a spur of the moment thing—if Captain Yi thinks he's Vaatu then there's no way he can return to service."

"Maybe it's all a show," Kai suggests. "Maybe he's faking it so he can get discharged and go home."

"Maybe," Korra concedes, "but there is no way to actually prove it." She sighs, now looking like she's in physical pain. "This is above my head, you guys. So I decided to call military intelligence to ask for their opinion."

Jinora doesn't completely understand why Kai groans after Korra says 'military intelligence', but she has a decent idea. "I assume you and military intelligence don't get along very well," she hazards. Judging by Kai's second groan she'd hit the nail on the head. "Uh, why?"

"Because Colonel Quilak is visiting." Korra's answer is decidedly unhelpful and elicits yet another groan from Kai, so she elaborates after Jinora glares at her. "Quilak hates us. V-Varrick, uh, he…he and Quilak didn't get along. Quilak always thought he was a sissy, and Varrick thought he was crazy."

"Right." Kai's voice is tinged with anger, which surprises Jinora. It surprises Zhu Li too, judging by the single eyebrow she raises. "So then why the hell is he coming here, if we have such _fond_ memories of him?"

Korra stands up, towering over Kai with her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "I didn't have a choice, as you damn well know. I'd rather crawl on my belly through a field of hot coals and broken glass rather than have Quilak come here, but I have no choice. He's specifically assigned to our unit if things go wrong, and by textbook definition, things have gone wrong. So Quilak is coming. I suggest you hide your magazines and Mako's box of condoms. I'll talk to the nurses. If his visit is going to be anything like last time, I don't want him to think that your stuff could be used to build a bomb." To Jinora, whose mouth is hanging open, Korra says, "He's a very eccentric guy." Then, after a slightly awkward pause, she continues. "First, Jin, Kai, I want you both to question Captain Yi. I just want to make sure that he gives you the same answer that he gave Kiyi. Zhu Li, you've got a completely unrelated task. I want you to place a call to HQ in Ba Sing Se. See if they're willing to send another doctor. Now that Varrick's gone, we're short a man, so see if they have anyone available. Clear?" At their nods, she gestures for them to go, which they do, albeit in opposite directions: Kai and Jinora head back to postop, and Zhu Li goes back to her own desk to place a call to Ba Sing Se HQ.

Jinora reaches Captain Yi's bed first, Kai only a step or two behind her. Zin is his nurse for the evening, and Yi isn't complaining. He isn't complimenting either; in fact, he's completely silent, and it's unnerving when the only sounds are his breathing and Zin scribbling down something on a clipboard. "Kai, Jinora," Zin greets. "BP and pulse are normal, breathing rate's fine."

"Alright, thanks Zin, we can take it from here." Is it her imagination or does Kai sound more brusque than usual when he's speaking to Zin? His tone reminds Jinora of Akash's, of whenever she and he had been at social gatherings and any man had come up to chat with her. Is Kai jealous? _No_ , she instantly corrects herself, _that's impossible. There's nothing to be jealous of anyway_. Zin leaves and Kai grins charmingly at Captain Yi, whose face remains impassive. "Hi, how're you doing?"

"Fine." Captain Yi's voice is monotone, almost as if he's merely bored by this entire ordeal. "How are you?"

Jinora and Kai exchange glances. "Oh, we're fine, we're fine. We're doctors, in fact. Apparently," Jinora says, gaining inspiration from a book she'd recently read, "you lost your dog tags, so, uh, we have to get some information from you for our records." Captain Yi sighs peacefully, as though he'd expected this. Jinora presses on. "Yeah. We need your rank, your serial number, your unit, your, uh—"

"Your name," Kai suggests.

"Right, that'd be a good place to start. What's your name?"

"My name?" repeats Captain Yi. Jinora and Kai nod. "My name is Vaatu." He says it with such conviction that it's hard not to believe him. No wonder Bolin wanted to wait until morning. Even Jinora can see that this guy believes what he's saying.

Kai also seems taken aback by the captain's level of conviction and he resorts to his defense mechanism, humor. "Oh, that's funny. We have a devil by that name." Jinora steps on his foot hard, causing Kai's grin to turn into a grimace. Captain Yi doesn't laugh. Neither does anyone else. "Sorry. My jokes are currently being condemned to purgatory."

"No jokes from either of you now," Jinora says firmly, not in the mood for any more levity. "Seriously, sir, we need your name."

"Of course," says Captain Yi, and just when Jinora thinks that she's actually getting somewhere, he replies the same way he had a moment earlier. "My name is Vaatu." Jinora's jaw drops slightly because holy mother of Raava, he really does believe it. No wonder Bolin had needed to lie down and think about it all in the morning. "V-A-A—"

"Oh, don't worry; we know how to spell it."

"Yeah, uh, that much we've got," Kai says. He rocks back and forth on his heels, looking at Jinora for help. She's too stunned to give any. "Look, uh, sir, your head wound's really superficial. In fact, it's hardly more than a scratch. If you want to try bugging out of the army, that's fine. You don't have to pretend to be Vaatu to do it."

Now Captain Yi just looks frustrated. It's the first change of expression they've seen out of him so far. "What do I have to do to convince you that I am who I say I am?"

"Just be yourself," Jinora answers. Kai snickers, but after she glares at him he disguises it as a cough. "Never mind, sir. Just…just rest and recover, please. We'll talk more to you in the morning."

* * *

Morning dawns about four hours later, and with the morning comes Colonel Quilak from military intelligence. He's a tall, domineering man of about thirty, younger than Korra but twice as intimidating. She can't help but wonder upon meeting him why such a young man was made colonel, but when Kai explains that only the looniest men get promoted to high positions in military intelligence she understands completely. Varrick had been right—Colonel Quilak is far from sane. Kai had asked him, "How are you?" and he'd replied with "Speak to me again without warning me first and I'll use you to clean the inside of a cannon."

He storms into Korra's office like a tornado, Kai and Jinora trailing behind him and urging him to be quiet so he doesn't wake the patients. Inside the office are Korra, Bolin, Mako and Zhu Li, who looks like she hasn't slept much in the last month. "Well, well, how the tables have turned since I've last been in here," Colonel Quilak says, looking around the office appraisingly. They had decided to redecorate it a few days ago, for lack of anything better to do. "You finally got rid of that disgusting gazelle-deer's head on the wall."

"We found that it reminded us too much of you, sir," Kai says, his words drenched in acerbity.

Colonel Quilak rolls his eyes, obviously unfazed by Kai's smart mouth. "Captain Wen, a pleasure as always. Sergeant Moon, go back to your desk. This concerns officers only." Zhu Li shoots him a look, but does as he asks. Jinora can't help but envy her. "Major Lieng, you've shaved recently, I see. And you," he says to Jinora. "I haven't met you yet. Well, I happen to know quite a bit about you from your files, but I haven't officially stared you down yet. You must be Captain Jinora Gyatso, MD, fiancé of steel tycoon Akash Chow, head of your class, _summa cum laude_ graduate of Republic City University, and allergic to ginger."

"…that would be me, yes," Jinora answers weakly. What else does her file mention? Does it say that she'd cheated on Akash with Kai? Does it say that her feelings for Kai are bordering on love? "You must be Colonel Quilak."

"I know who I am, yes, thank you." Colonel Quilak says sharply. He turns to Bolin next, who looks like he'd rather be anywhere else. "Captain Lieng, I've heard that we have a loony in there. He's your department."

"So I hear," Bolin says, sounding a lot more confident than he looks. "If loony people are my department, Colonel, maybe you and I should chat sometime. I'm available every other weekend to go up to your HQ."

Scoffing, Colonel Quilak finally turns to Korra, who sits impassively behind her desk. "You did well in contacting me, Major Iluak," he says rather magnanimously. "I hear we've got a man who's turned yellow." He leans against a filing cabinet, scrutinizing his fingernails. "A certain Captain Nguyen Yi, with the 420th Bombardiers Division."

Korra's still calm. "You're right, that's him."

"See, I've been telling General Raiko that we need to nip this sort of action in the bud before it gets too out of hand," Colonel Quilak continues. Mako and Bolin exchange glances. Kai rolls his eyes. Jinora doesn't know what to expect out of this man anymore. "It's all becoming an epidemic. If one man decides he's not going to fight, it catches on. Do any of you yellow-bellied pansies understand what that means? What would happen if everyone chose not to fight?"

"Peace?" Jinora suggests.

Kai snickers, but Colonel Quilak doesn't look very amused. "I either want Captain Yi and his highly trained thumb up in the sky with the rest of his division, pushing the button to drop bombs on the New Freedom Fighters or I want to get him for dereliction of duty. So which is it going to be?"

"Neither," Bolin says firmly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not until I've had a chance to look at him."

"You've had your chance, Doctor, and you diagnosed him as Vaatu. That doesn't look very good in your book."

"If I had diagnosed him as _normal_ then it wouldn't have looked good in your book."

"Major Iluak," Colonel Quilak snaps, ignoring Bolin, "when can I have Captain Yi? Give me a medical decision, right now. The last CO here couldn't make a decision without the company clerk holding his hand. It'd be difficult to be more incompetent than your predecessor."

Before Jinora can strangle him for speaking ill of the dead, Korra folds her hands together and stares the colonel down. "I'm not very fond of personal abuse, Colonel," she says, her tone sharp enough to slice a metal column in half. "I've been with the army since the only thumb you cared about was the one you had in your mouth." While Jinora and Kai exchange grins and Colonel Quilak looks as though he's been poleaxed, Korra continues smugly: "Wait for Captain Lieng to treat Captain Yi, and then you'll get your decision."

Colonel Quilak says, "Fine," like it physically hurts him, and then storms out of the room, shoving Mako into Bolin, who crashes into a filing cabinet. Once they're all upright again, Bolin sighs, rubbing a hand through his hair. "I'm going to go and talk to Captain Yi," he says. "May as well get you that answer you want, Major."

"Just Korra, Bo," Korra corrects him. "We've known each other long enough to go by our first names."

Bolin grins. "Just wanted to see if you'd correct me or not."

"Oh, get out," Korra says, shooing him out of the room with a playful smile. "Mako, you and Kiyi have got postop duty for the next two hours, okay?"

"Yeah, Korra, I'll get Kiyi."

"Great, thanks. Uh, Jinora, Kai, I'll call you in later once Bolin diagnoses Captain Yi for good. Zhu Li—"

Before her shout is even finished, Zhu Li appears through the double doors, the telephone in her hand. "I'm on hold with Ba Sing Se HQ, Major," Zhu Li hisses, covering the receiver with her hand. "Just one—oh, hang on." She places the phone back to her ear, going back to her desk as she speaks. "Yes, hello? This is Sergeant Zhu Li Moon from sixty-one fifty-two M*A*S*H, is General Osina there? Yes, I'll wait."

Korra pauses. "Well then. Alright. Jinora, Kai, you're dismissed."

The two doctors depart to the mess tent, where the last of breakfast is being served. Opal, Zin, Nurse Yali and Nurse Tsen are sitting at a wooden table near the doors, and once Jinora and Kai get coffee, they join them.

"So," Nurse Yali says, eyeing Kai and Jinora, "what's the word about Captain Yi?"

"Bolin's in there now, giving him one final looksee," Kai answers. "Quilak is probably up a tree trying to snipe some New Freedom Fighters."

Nurse Tsen giggles. "Wouldn't put it past him after last time. Remember Opal, the last time we called him in and he said that he'd been scouting us for days and was just waiting for the cover of darkness."

Jinora's eyes widen. "You're not serious."

Oh, but they are. For the next hour she's treated to a deluge of stories about the adventures they've had with Colonel Quilak. Nurse Tsen shares a story about how Colonel Quilak, back when he was a lieutenant colonel, lost a game of poker to Kai and in retaliation had accused Kai of being a communist and threatened him with dishonorable discharge. Zin says that no one knows who Quilak even works for. "He keeps us in this constant state of confusion. Once he said he was with this—Spirits, what even was it? I don't even remember what he said, but I remember that Varrick looked it up and it didn't even exist. Next time we saw him, Kai brought it up, but then Quilak said that he was with the Intelligence Corps. He's kept up that alias for a bit."

"Unbelievable," Jinora giggles. "Oh, hang on. I'm going to get some more coffee, anyone else want some?"

"I got it, s'alright," Kai says, standing up. "Anyone else want some?"

Opal says she wants decaf, and Kai goes to get coffee. When he returns with their cups, Zhu Li's voice comes over the loudspeakers in her typical clarion call: "Captain Gyatso, Captain Wen, Major Lieng, please report to Major Iluak's office. Gyatso, Wen, Lieng, Major Iluak's office."

"That's our cue, then," says Jinora, standing up. She eyes her cup and decides that she'll just save it for later. The meeting can't possibly take that long, can it?

"Shall we, Captain Wen?" Kai asks her, extending his hand to her.

She takes it. "We shall."

* * *

"He's Vaatu."

None of them had expected that reply to Korra's question about Captain Yi's mental state, least of all Korra herself. Bolin looks as serious as ever as he looks at the major. Mako facepalms. Colonel Quilak looks ready to strangle something. Jinora doesn't know what to think.

Korra speaks first. "If you look at me closely, Captain, you'll notice that I'm not finding this funny."

"Alright, so he isn't Vaatu," Bolin concedes. "But he's also not Captain Yi. At least not the Captain Yi his file claims him to be."

Colonel Quilak throws his hands in the air out of pure exasperation, nearly hitting Zhu Li in the face. The company clerk in question quickly moves over to stand next to Korra. "Major, are we really going to stand here and listen to Captain Lieng's psychoanalytical doubletalk?"

"Why not? We've heard worse things out of the likes of you." Kai's words effectively shut up the colonel, as does Korra's glare.

Bolin presses on. "Captain Yi is a victim, and—"

"Oh, please, Captain, you know as well as I do that he's just bucking for a ticket stateside!" Quilak snaps. "There's nothing in the world that would ever make a man want to impersonate the devil aside from the motivation of a free ride home."

"You know, Quilak," Bolin says, six different kinds of sarcasm infused in his words, "you just happen to be a victim too. I'd offer to have you over for a session but with your schizophrenia I'd have to charge you double time." While Quilak gapes like a koi-fish, Bolin smiles smugly at him and continues. "Korra, Captain Yi isn't playing a game here. He spent the last year and a quarter in combat dropping bombs on people and then something in him said, 'That's it, you've done it. The only explanation for your behavior is that you're the devil.'"

Korra bites her lip, clearly lost in thought. "What do you suggest, Bolin?"

"I think that we can turn him back into Nguyen Yi," Bolin says. "That's not going to be hard if he gets a lot of the right kind of help. He's never going to be a fighting tool again, though, and it's my professional advice as a psychiatrist that we don't try."

Korra stands up then. "I believe that that's that, Colonel. I recommend that we send Captain Yi up to Ba Sing Se to recover, where he'll be examined by top psychiatrists. When he returns to himself, I'll write to his commander and insist that he'll be dismissed from duty. It's been fun though, Colonel."

"Well, I guess you've got better things to do now, Colonel, like torturing chicken-sheep," Kai quips.

"As a matter of fact I do." Colonel Quilak sighs, checking his watch. "Now, all of you close your eyes."

Jinora thinks that she's misheard. "Excuse me?"

"When I finish a job, nobody can see me leave. I'm either swallowed up by the mist or disappear in the night. It's my trademark. Now close your eyes." Mako, Bolin and Zhu Li do. Korra, Kai and Jinora don't. "If you don't close your eyes, then I won't leave." Immediately, Kai shuts his eyes, followed by Korra and Jinora. "It's been fun."

The next thing Jinora hears is a grunt, followed by shattering glass and the sound of a car alarm. Startled, she opens her eyes to see a huge, gaping hole in Korra's window. Korra steps toward the window, and once she sees what's outside she snorts. "I think that Quilak just broke his leg for the sake of a trademark."

Kai laughs. "That's Quilak for you."

* * *

The next day everything is back to normal, or at least as normal as things are in a mobile hospital unit in the middle of a warzone. Opal and Bolin continue to plan their wedding. Zhu Li and Korra finish organizing the last of Varrick's paperwork. Mako wins the next poker game. Kai and Jinora's relationship, although still somewhat awkward, is much better than it had been three days prior. They continue to drink and play cards and write letters to their respective parents like they hadn't passionately kissed in their shared tent two weeks ago.

Then, five days after the Captain Yi incident, Zhu Li comes on the loudspeaker while they're all eating dinner after a light four hours of surgery. "All medical personnel please report to Major Iluak's office. All medical personnel please report to Major Iluak's office."

Kai and Jinora exchange glances, wondering what this is all about, but dutifully go on their way to Korra's office. They're the first ones in there, but within five minutes Mako, Bolin, Opal, Zin, Kiyi and the rest of the nurses all arrive. They're all packed into the room so tightly that when Korra enters with Zhu Li and an unfamiliar woman they all have to contort themselves so she will have room.

"Ladies, gentlemen," Korra begins, "thanks for coming on such short notice."

"We had to clean up our schedule just for you," Kai says, just loud enough for Jinora to hear. Jinora stifles her laugh and passes it off as a cough.

On Korra's command, the woman that Jinora doesn't know takes a step forward, a proud smile on her face. She's beautiful, with long dark hair, suntanned skin and gray eyes. Her smile shows off perfect teeth as she waves shyly to the people in the room, pausing for a moment to give Kai an appraising look.

Bumbleflies settle in Jinora's stomach.

"Gentlemen, ladies," Korra says, "I'd like you all to meet Captain Mitali Hema, the newest doctor on our medical team."


	6. As Time Goes By

Kai can tell when someone is a good person—it's just one of his many skills, much like chest surgery is Jinora's skill and being a stiff is Mako's skill. Within an hour of meeting Yung, he had known that his soon to be foster father was a good person. Within a day of arriving at the 6152nd, he'd known that Korra, Mako, Zhu Li, Varrick, Opal, Bolin and the others were good people. He could tell that beneath Skoochy's sardonic exterior lay a good man. Hell, within meeting for Jinora for the first time, he could tell she was a good person. Captain Mitali Hema, he knows, is definitely a good person. So then why does Jinora treat her so coldly?

It's been three days since Mitali's arrival and Jinora has yet to hold an actual conversation with her, so Kai talks enough for both of them. That's how he learns that Mitali is the youngest of four and the first doctor in her family. She's also from Bushou, a small Earth Kingdom town twenty miles away from Yu Dao. She's smart and nice and funny, all traits that she has in common with Jinora—so why won't his roommate give her the time of day?

Determined to figure it out, he catches his friend walking away from the PX holding their mail. "Hey, Jin," he greets with a smile that always feels a bit too bright. Honestly, he should give up on her already. She's engaged and it's fairly clear that she doesn't think of him in the same way, so he should just move on. "Mind if I talk to you for a sec?"

"Yeah, sure," she says, stopping where she is and turning to him. "If it's about the mail, then I'm afraid this goes straight to Korra first. She and Zhu Li have to check it over to make sure there're no bombs or anything in them."

"Nah, it's not about the mail," he answers. "It's actually about Captain Hema—Mitali, I mean." Her jaw tightens slightly. "I've noticed—she and I have noticed that you've been kinda giving her the cold shoulder lately. I just wanted to know why. I mean, it doesn't seem like you. I figured that you guys would get along pretty well."

She shrugs after a few moments. "I—I just haven't really had the chance to talk to her. I've been under some stress lately—Akash is coming over here to oversee some steel trade and my brother just wrote to me and said that he wanted to enlist. It's been a lot to deal with."

He doesn't mean to, honestly, but he'd lost track of everything after she'd mentioned Akash's name. "Your fiancé is coming here?"

Jinora bites her lip, not meeting his eyes. "Not exactly." She shifts the mail in her arms. "His meeting's technically in Sejong-Daero. It's just, he wanted to come and see me because we've been apart for the last three and bit months. He told me in his last letter he's not sure if he'll make it because of the risks, but he wants to."

"Oh." He puts on a fake smile but he really doesn't know what to say. Inwardly, he prays that Akash won't be able to come—although on the other hand, he wants to meet Jinora's fiancé. He wants to meet the man that thinks he deserves someone like Jinora. "That's…good. Good for you."

"Thanks," she replies automatically. Then, "Care to accompany me to Korra's office to drop off the mail, Captain Wen?"

He grins at her. This time it's genuine. "Lead the way, Captain Gyatso."

* * *

After delivering the mail—Kai gets two letters from Yung and a care package, all of which are fantastic—Zhu Li's voice comes out over the speakers, inviting them all to surgery. It's old hat for Jinora at this point, but it's Mitali's first time. Not that it should be a problem (it certainly wasn't for Jinora) but Kai can't help but be worried. Triage is messy enough as it is—General Raiko's recently led an attack on Hidao-Jeong, which is frankly a horrible idea because they won't win that even with twice the army they have—and he and Mitali quickly get to work, prioritizing collapsed lungs and stomach wounds and amputations and weeding out the ones too far gone to bother with. It hurts him, honestly it does: hearing soldiers beg him to operate on their buddies that are half dead already will never get old. He hates it.

Mako and Korra are starting to carry people in, but Jinora's examining a young man who is in shock, semiconscious and saturated with mud over his whole uniform, hair and skin. There is a muddy, bloody bandage around his neck. _That cannot be sanitary,_ Kai thinks.

Jinora doesn't give it a second glance. "Get that bandage off so I can see what's underneath it," she orders Corporal Nilak, who does as she asks and pulls it away. The corporal turns his head to the left, and blood spurs a foot into the air from a hole in the right side of his neck.

Mitali lets out a strangled gasp that nearly drowns out the corporal's plea for his mother. Kai wants to pat her on the shoulder but he's too stunned by what's going on. It's not his first time watching an arterial blood spray but every time he sees one it's like watching a car accident: horrifying, but he's unable to look away. The blood continues to gush, and as it comes down again it falls on the corporal's face and into his mouth. The soldier reacts by coughing and spraying Nilak with blood. The corporal yells but Jinora's already there, and without a second thought she sticks her index finger down the hole, blocking off the severed artery and stopping the flow of blood.

Korra orders the others to get back to work, which they do. As Kai and Mitali carry inside a stretcher with a wounded sergeant on it, he hears Jinora tell Nilak, "Bring Corporal Shen to the OR right on this stretcher. I can't take my finger out. Somebody tell Zin to get in here and double as the anesthesiologist."

"Yes ma'am," Nilak says, but by the time he's done with his sentence they're already on their way to the OR, Jinora moving beside the stretcher with her finger in the hole.

On the way in they pass Zhu Li and Opal, the latter of whom asks them what they need. "We're getting crowded here, Captain, how urgent is it?"

"It's urgent, Sergeant," Mitali says, surprising all of them. Her pallor is pale but she speaks calmly and confidently. "If Captain Gyatso removes her finger then the corporal here will die."

Jinora nods, sending Mitali a thankful smile. At least the two of them are sort of getting along now. "She's right, Zhu Li, this one's urgent." Zhu Li nods, and Jinora turns to Opal, her finger still in the corporal's neck. "Opal, get some scissors; we need to start cutting off his clothes."

"I'm on it," she says, rushing off to get a pair of scissors.

They continue into the operating room, and Jinora keeps speaking rapidly as they walk, Kai and Mitali right behind them. "Tell the lab to come in with a couple of pints of low titer O, and type and cross-match him for five or six more. Get somebody to do two countdowns and start the blood." She stops in her tracks as Opal comes back with scissors and begins to cut off Shen's clothes. "Come to think of it, get somebody to start rounding up donors."

"Zhu Li," Korra yells, "once this is over I want you on the phone to Ba Sing Se HQ and tell them to send all the extra blood they have."

Zhu Li says an affirmative just as Zin Yamato runs into the room, his scrubs disheveled and his hair messy like he's just woken up. He sends a quick smile to Jinora, who smiles back at him. Bumbleflies rise in Kai's stomach but he ignores them. "One gas-passer at your service," he says, messing with the rubber gloves on his hands.

"Excellent," Jinora says. "Get Corporal Shen asleep and a tube in him if you can. His common carotid's been cut and nothing's going to get done with him jumping all over the place." To Opal, she says, "I have to keep a finger on this or we lose him, and I can't get it clamped with my left hand. Help me out?"

Opal shakes her head regretfully. "Sorry, Jinora, I can't. I have to get back to Mako."

"I can help you," Zin offers. "We can get Bolin to be the anesthesiologist for today."

Across the room, Korra shakes her head without looking up from where she's operating. "No, Zin, we can't. Bolin's working as a nurse today too. Jinora, it'll just have to be you for now. As soon as someone's done, I'll send them to you."

The corporal is quickly transferred to an operating table without Jinora losing her finger pressure on the artery. His clothes have been cut off him, and Zin has both blood and anesthesia going into him, the latter through an intratracheal tube. Out of the corner of his eye, Kai sees Jinora has a scalpel in her other hand and with it she enlarges the wound around her right index finger. She keeps trying to slide a clamp down her finger into the wound to clamp the artery but she can't manage it left handed.

Kai wishes he could help her but he can't. Not only is he working on his own patient, but he's also assisting Mitali with her first meatball surgery. Everyone in the room is occupied, including the enlisted men and Bolin. Zin is having a hard time fulfilling his dual function as it is, and can't possibly take on another. Undaunted, Jinora keeps trying with the clamp and keeps failing.

Once he finishes with his patient, he looks over at Nurse Yali, who's currently assisting him. "Can you close for me, Xióng?" he asks. Upon her nod, he moves to help Jinora.

It's clear that Jinora doesn't know that it's him, but it's also clear that she couldn't care less. "Grab this clamp and ride it down my fingers," she orders. "We'll have this bleed under control in no time."

Following instructions, Kai takes the clamp and inserts it in the wound. "How wide should I open it?"

Jinora doesn't flinch, but he can tell that she's surprised and happy to know that it's him. "When you get the clamp all the way down, open it as wide as you can and see if you can close it on the artery."

Kai obeys her orders carefully. When he widens the clamp and starts to close it again, he has the satisfying sensation of feeling something substantial, and seizes it vigorously. Upon hearing Jinora's gasp, he realizes that he'd accidentally grabbed Jinora's finger. She reflexively pulls it out of the hole in Shen's neck, which causes the blood to start spurting again. Swearing, Kai releases the clamp and Jinora goes back into the wound, this time with her left pointer finger.

"Thanks Kai," she says with a grin that she can see through the surgical mask. "I can do this better with my right hand."

"No problem," he says, grinning back.

She inserts a retractor into the wound and gives him the working end of it, taking back the clamp. He pulls the retractor toward himself, and Jinora rides the clamp down her left pointer finger and this time, finally, she manages to close the clamp on the right place. "There," she says with a sigh. "That does it for now."

"Keep him right where he is," Kai says.

"If you wait a minute I can give you a hand closing up that artery," Mitali calls from across the room. Kai's so surprised upon hearing her voice that he nearly drops the retractor. He'd actually forgotten she was there. He sneaks a peek over at her and is pleased to see that everything is fine. She and Nurse Tsen are working together fine, and when they're done Mitali takes his place at Jinora's table and helps her close up the artery in Shen's neck.

"Thanks, Captain," Jinora says. She stretches quickly before telling Nilak to bring her the next available patient. Mitali goes back to her table. Kai returns to his. The operating room is quickly filled with the same old noises again.

* * *

Two days later Zhu Li announces that they're going to be showing a Ginger Zhang mover after dinner to boost morale. It's the crime one from four years ago whose name Kai can never remember, but he's only seen it twice, so he wants to go. "Are you going to the mover?" he asks Jinora at breakfast.

"Nah," she says, taking a sip of coffee. She's gotten better at downing the stuff—hardly any flinching. "I've never liked Ginger Zhang movers that much. Sorry."

Kai pokes at his breakfast, which has the consistency of a lump of coal. Probably surplus from the last war. "Oh," he says. "That's okay."

On his way out of the mess tent, Mitali runs into him. "I'm sorry, Kai, I didn't see where I was going," she apologizes, moving away from him. Her hair is in a ponytail today, and she's wearing makeup. She must've borrowed it from Sora or Kiyi; they're the only ones who care much about makeup around here. Mitali sniffs the air and her nose wrinkles. "Anything good today?"

Kai snorts. "Funny. Nah, nothing good. Although I will say that it's almost nearly edible. Just close your eyes and pinch your nose shut and you should be fine." Then something hits him. "Hey, so you know they're showing a mover tonight. It's that crime one with Ginger Zhang, the one where she's the femme fatale. Wanna go?"

Mitali smiles and says yes, she'd love to, and he tells her he'll pick her up at seven thirty.

When he sees his roommate again after his shift in post-op is done, Jinora's sitting on her cot, alternating between chewing on the end of her pen and writing a letter. Kai makes himself a martini and pretends to read one of Yung's old letters again while he drinks it, but he's actually thinking about if Akash is sleeping around stateside, and if Jinora will be obligated to love him if he is.

At around seven he starts getting ready. He rubs some shaving cream—a rare delicacy around here—on his face, squinting at the little warped mirror hanging on the center tent pole. He'd bought it off the family that owns Luoxi's because it was cheap, but it's not especially flattering. Maybe he'll buy a new one later this week.

Jinora looks up at his commotion. She sounds surprised as she says, "You're shaving?"

"Yeah, I know, what a rarity," he replies, their banter coming as easily as breathing, and picks up his razor again. As he pulls it down his face he says, "I'm taking Mitali to see the Ginger Zhang mover tonight."

"Huh."

When he looks over at her, she looks weird, like she smells something bad. "What?"

"Nothing," she says after a moment. "That's great. Good for you."

He shrugs and finishes shaving.

The mover is fine, even for his third time seeing it. Ginger Zhang looks great with her hair naturally red, and her costar Hikaru Daichi is handsome enough for Sora and Kiyi to fawn over him. Opal and Bolin keep arguing under their breath at the front, which reminds Kai that the psychiatrist had once dated the actress a lifetime ago. Dear Spirits, maybe it really isn't a lie. He'll have to ask Mako to be sure, though.

Mitali takes his hand halfway through the film, right around the part where Ginger's character Kida Wu and Hikaru's character Jinho Matsuri are alone in the bedroom. The captain's hand is warm in his, and her smile is bright in the dim room.

 _"We're partners, Jinho," Kida says. "And yet, with the whole world crumbling around us, we pick this time to fall in love."_

 _Jinho laughs. "Yeah, it's pretty bad timing," he says. "Where were you, say, two years ago?"_

 _"Two years ago?" Kida sounds like she's trying to be cheerful. "I was halfway around the world and I didn't know that I needed you. Spirits, what a rough time." They step closer to each other. "I love you so much. And I hate this war so much."_

 _"And you, Kida," says Jinho, caressing her face. "I love you."_

Spirits, this mover is practically a manifestation of his conscience. If he closes his eyes he can imagine himself as Kida and Jinora as Jinho. But no, he shouldn't, because Jinora's engaged and doesn't have feelings for him in that way and he's got no right to imagine things that will never happen. He needs to move on.

"Hey, are you alright?" Mitali says, poking his shoulder. Kai startles so hard that he nearly spills some of his drink on his knees. "You look a million miles away."

He smiles disarmingly at her, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to the back of her knuckles. "Just lost in thought," he says. "I'm alright."

After the mover ends—accompanied by Nilak throwing popcorn at the screen as a result of the cliffhanger—Kai and Mitali decide to head back to their respective tents. She's staying in the VIP tent for now, and he's back in the Swamp. When they reach her tent, she smiles at him awkwardly. "Well, this is it," she says with a wave at her surroundings. "My stop."

"Lovely place you've got," Kai says. "Less ratroaches than my real estate." Mitali laughs, and his smile becomes genuine. He likes this woman, he really does, and they have the rest of this war to get to know each other, and maybe…maybe there'll be something more. The longing for something more is what drives him to cup her face in his hands and kiss her in the dark. Her uniform is stiff and starched under his hands and she smells clean, like she hasn't spent the last year in a war zone. She makes him long for home, and he kisses her harder to forget the war.

She kisses him back like her life depends on it, but then she pulls away like someone is forcing her. "I can't," she says apologetically. She sounds like she hates herself for it. "I can't go further than this."

Kai's dealt with women who want to stay abstinent until marriage, and far be it from him to force someone into doing something they don't want to do. "Just kissing then?" he asks with a wink. "I'm good with that."

"As am I," she says, and they kiss again.

When he returns to the Swamp, his lips are swollen slightly and he has a smile fixed on his face because damn, in terms of dates that one ranks top three. Mako's sleeping already, cuddling the scarf he always wears. Jinora's still awake though, having a drink and sealing off her letters to Akash and her parents in separate envelopes. He plops down on his cot, still smiling.

She looks over at him while he strips down to his boxers and a tank top. "Did you have fun?"

He breathes out, thinking of Mitali's lips on his own, and says, "Yeah." He looks over at her, but her back is to him and she doesn't say anymore. Eventually, once he's sure that she's sleeping, he turns off his light and crawls under his covers, ready for some sleep himself.

And yet, despite the success of his date, he drifts off thinking of a very different pair of lips.

* * *

A week passes. Kai's still not sure what exactly is going on between him and Mitali, but at least she and Jinora seem to be getting along better ever since they helped each other in surgery. Mako seems to finally be moving on from Korra and rumor has it that he's setting his sights on Nurse Kiyi, who's somewhat terrified of him ever since she found him snooping around for his box of condoms in the nurse's showers. Bolin and Opal look into hiring a monk to officiate their wedding. PFC Shen writes Jinora a letter of appreciation for saving his life, which she frames and hangs by her cot. Korra and Zhu Li continue to run the 6152nd to the best of their ability, and soon, their efficiency ratings are back up to what they were prior to Varrick's death.

And as for his feelings for Jinora…

Well, they can't go away no matter how hard he tries. Even when he's kissing Mitali, half the time he's thinking of Jinora. He feels horrible for leading Mitali on and wants his feelings for Jinora to go away because really, it would be so much easier for everyone here if romance never got between them.

After lunch on the tenth day following Mitali's arrival, he and Jinora are playing cards in the shade of the Swamp. They usually play with Zin, Mitali and Bolin, but Bolin's with Opal right now and Zin and Mitali are on shift in post-op. Jinora's currently winning and Kai keeps trying to sneak a peek at her cards. "Like seriously," he complains. "That's not fair; you have to be cheating or something."

"Oh, you mean like you're trying to?" He's missed this banter between them, and he grins at her, craning his neck. She blocks his view with her hand. "Uh, no, Kai, if you want to beat me then you'll have to do it the old-fashioned way."

"Nah, I think I'll cheat," Kai says with a shrug. "Seems that'll be the only way to beat you."

She swats his arm, but before she can say anything she suddenly glances past him into the distance, and Kai can see her face drain, all but literally, like Jinora had been cut open and her veins emptied, leaving her bloodless white under her tan. Kai whirls around, thinking someone's coming to hurt them like a sniper and oh Raava he can't be repeating history again, but no. The only people coming are two MPs escorting a businessman wearing a dark suit and a crooked smile.

Kai feels shivers go up and down his spine.

"Akash," Jinora says breathlessly, standing up so suddenly that she knocks their card table over. He gets a chance to see her cards—she nearly had a straight flush. "Akash, Spirits, what're you doing here?"

Akash comes over to Jinora and pulls her into a quick kiss. When he pulls away from her, she looks even more stunned. Kai feels like someone's hit him in the face with something heavy. "That's actually a funny story," he says. He's got a deep voice. "Well, I told you I'd be up in Sejong-Daero, but the business meeting ended early. I wanted to see you before I caught a plane back. I can only be here for a few hours, though."

"Well, Akash," Jinora sounds like someone is pulling the words out of her with a clamp, "it's really good to see you."

Kai coughs to break the budding silence, and both Jinora and Akash turn to him.

"Oh," Jinora says, almost like she's forgotten Kai's here. She does sound grateful for the subject change, though. "Akash, this is Kai Wen, my friend and the head of surgery. Kai, this is Akash Chow, my fiancé."

Akash sticks out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Kai takes a second to look at Akash Chow, to really look at him. The steel tycoon looks about Kai's age, too, although that's where the resemblance stops. Jinora's fiancé is tall, with light brown hair and brown eyes and muscular arms and a five o'clock shadow. Handsome, too, but his smile is smarmy.

"Nice to meet you too."

Kai dislikes him instantly.


	7. Dinner and a Show

Akash is here.

It's been ten minutes since his arrival and Jinora still can't believe it. She's been so caught up with all of her other problems—namely Meelo wanting to enlist and her evolving feelings of jealousy over Mitali and Kai's relationship—that she hadn't even thought that Akash would come and visit her at the 6152nd. But now he's here, standing in the middle of the M*A*S*H unit like he's always been here, like he's always been a permanent fixture in her safe haven. It feels like something out of a dream.

Before Jinora knows it, Korra and Zhu Li are there, and she feels comforted by their presence. It eases the awkwardness, at least. "Mr. Chow, a pleasure to meet you," Korra says, the very picture of propriety and diplomacy and she shakes his hand. "I'm Major Korra Iluak, head nurse and commanding officer of the 6152nd. This is Sergeant Zhu Li Moon, our company clerk, and I see you've already become acquainted with Captain Wen."

"Nice to meet you as well, Major," Akash says politely. She knows that soon his politeness will wear off and she doesn't want to see him when it does. "I know this is somewhat of an unexpected arrival, but…" He places an arm around Jinora's shoulders and she tries not to flinch. "Well, I just had to see my fiancée." _Yes_ , Jinora thinks, _but did I have to see you?_ "I'm only staying for a few hours—is dinner a possibility?"

"Yeah, but we can't promise it'll be edible," Kai says. Jinora and Korra snicker just as Bolin, Mako and Mitali come wandering over to see what all of the commotion is about. He adopts a pompous tone and extends his hand to the others in the group. "Mr. Chow, as head of surgery allow me to introduce you to our fellow medical and psychological practitioners: Dr. Mako Lieng; his brother Dr. Bolin Lieng, our resident shrink; and Dr. Mitali Hema, our orthopedic surgeon. Mitali, Bo, Mako, this is Akash Chow, Jin's fiancé."

Mako shakes Akash's hand. "It's nice to meet you," he says. At least he sounds polite. Everyone in their unit has a general idea about Jinora's thoughts toward her fiancé. "How is business going for you? I've got some stocks going on the Chow Corporation."

Bolin rolls his eyes. "Come on, bro. He's not here to talk business; he's here to see Jinora and wind down a little."

Akash laughs, but it's a fake sort of laughter, the kind that he uses at soirees and parties that they attend on her father's behalf. "Actually, I am here on business, Doctors, but I don't mind talking stocks with you. Chow Corp's gone up two percent since last week. I'd recommend buying stocks for Takahiro Tech, though; they've really gone up and it makes me wish I'd gotten some stocks for 'em earlier this year."

Mitali's brows furrow. "Really? If anything I figured that things were going bearish for Takahiro Tech ever since their CEO died last fall. Dr. Lieng, I'd invest in Future Industries if I were you—they're going to be the future." At everyone's surprised looks, she clarifies. "I grew up in this really small town, and when I was in medical school I played the stock market to try and pay off my debts."

"Well, well, well." Akash looks impressed. "Never figured women had heads for business, Miss—"

"Doctor," she says coolly. Jinora's estimation of Mitali rises drastically. "Dr. Mitali Hema."

"Anyway," Korra says, which is wise because if this conversation continues then someone will end up beaten up, "Mr. Chow, you are welcome to stay for dinner. Kai, we need you on post-op duty with Zin and Kiyi." Kai nods. "Jin, you want to give your fiancé a tour of the place?"

Actually, Jinora wants anything but, but the sooner she does this then the sooner Akash will leave. She already longs for his absence and he's barely been here for a quarter of an hour. "Sure," she finally says, turning to Akash with a rigid smile on her face. Her engagement ring feels tighter around her finger than usual. "Shall we, Akash?"

Akash smiles back at her. "Lead the way."

The tour is dreadfully short, although she tries to draw it out for as long as she can. She shows him the Mess Hall, PX, Showers Tent, Barber Tent, Psych Tent, Enlisted Men's Tents, Postop, Officers' Tents, Nurses' Tents, and finally, the Officers' Club, where Sora Tsen and Xióng Yali are sitting and gossiping over stale beer. Akash doesn't look particularly impressed, barely saying anything as she takes him around. That's probably for the better—the 6152nd has become her home these last few months, and she doesn't think that she would be able to stomach him insulting her safe haven. Once they've toured the 6152nd extensively, Jinora takes Akash over to the small village that often provides a good many of their patients. She says hello to some of the locals, including the family that runs Luoxi's Bar and Grill; Mr. Chang, the only engineer in the village that helps them with repairs; and Mrs. Sesi, the oldest woman in the village who makes amazing trinkets that she sells sometimes to patients in post-op to cheer them up.

"It's quaint," Akash finally says in response to her question how he likes it here. "I never expected a village full of rockheads to be doing so well." Jinora bites back the perfect comment against Akash's slur for people of Earth Kingdom descent. He takes a closer look at her, and his eyes widen. "You actually like it here?"

"I do," she admits. He's more observant than she'd thought. "It's…" _Home._ "I really like the people and although we can be up for days at a time in the operating room it hasn't been a bad experience here."

"The people," he repeats. "Like the head surgeon, what's his name…Ko, Kahn—?"

"Kai," she says. This can't be good. Akash never changes the conversation to people unless he's threatening someone. "Kai Wen."

"Yes, him." Akash clears his throat. "I can tell that you've grown quite close to him."

 _That's an understatement. He understands me better than you ever have. He respects me. He makes me laugh. He kissed me and it felt like the breath vanished from my lungs. He makes me happy._ "He's my friend," she finally says, deciding to omit everything else that had run through her mind. Akash doesn't need to know about her confusing, burgeoning feelings for Kai. "Are you jealous, Akash?"

Akash laughs, but it's without humor and she's ashamed to admit that it frightens her because she can't exactly anticipate what he'll do next. He moves closer to her and takes her hand in his, her engagement ring pressing into his palm. It feels like she's caught her hand in a drawer. "I just don't want you to forget who you belong to."

She swallows the growing lump in her throat. "Believe me," she says softly. "I can't."

* * *

The mess tent is full to bursting that evening, as only Opal and Sora and Mitali have postop shifts that last through dinner. The officers all usually sit at separate tables, but with Akash there, Jinora does not want to be alone with him, so she, Kai, Korra, Mako, Bolin, Zin, Kiyi, the other nurses, Akash and the MPs are all crowded at one table. Sergeant Igoru, the head mess cook, and Zhu Li have been haggling with I-Corps for weeks for food that isn't surplus from the last war, and it had arrived this morning. Finally, they can have meat that they won't chip their teeth trying to eat, or fruits and vegetables that taste like plastic imitations. She'd almost be relaxed if it weren't for her fiancé sitting next to her.

"So, Mr. Chow," says Zin, gathering everyone's attention on him. "How are you enjoying Uijeongbu so far?" A wry smile appears on his lips. "I understand it takes a bit of time to get used to."

Akash frowns. "Well, I do think that what you all do is admirable," he says, sounding like he doesn't think that at all. "I just didn't expect that you would choose to host your little hospital near a town full of degenerates and criminals."

Bolin's knuckles turn white. Mako's jaw tightens. Kai looks particularly murderous. Jinora nearly starts to cry because of how could have things gone so badly so quickly? "And just what do you mean by that?"

"You know, having rockheads so close must be awful." She wants to stab her fiancé with a fork and if he keeps speaking Kai or Bolin or Mako or even Zin might end up doing it for her. "They don't respect human life the way we do."

"My adopted father and I are both of Earth Kingdom descent," Kai says, his voice a low growl. "So unless you want to finish today with a knife in your throat, I suggest that you shut the fuck up."

Akash's mouth opens to respond, most likely something scathing accompanied by a racial slur, but before any of them can stop him he changes the subject. "I apologize." Jinora's so surprised she nearly chokes on her salad. "It was, perhaps, the wrong thing to say."

"No shit," Kai mutters under his breath. Mako glares at him.

Because this isn't awkward enough, Bolin decides to break the ice even more. "So, Mr. Chow, how did you and Jinora meet?" He receives three glares from Korra, Mako, and Jinora respectively. "Don't shoot me for asking a question."

"Jinora's father, Governor Gyatso, set us up at one of his reelection soirees," Akash says after a moment's pause. "For two months she and I dated—although it was hard to meet up sometimes because she had to complete her residency—and then I proposed. I planned the wedding and Jinora worked so we could afford a good venue." He places his hand over hers. "Four and a half months we've been apart and I've missed you a lot."

"I've…missed you too, Akash," she says. She doesn't think that she's ever told such a lie. Kai's ears go red and he develops a sudden fascination with his food. Mako looks sympathetic and pats him on the shoulder. Akash just looks thoughtful while Mitali, Opal and Sora come back from postop and join them at the table. Opal kisses Bolin on the cheek and sits next to him, and Jinora wishes she could have a relationship that easy.

"So, ah, Mr. Chow," says Opal. Clearly she has no idea how to speak to Akash. "Jinora's been a real asset here, you know. She's one hell of a doctor, and a lot of the lives we save here are attributed to her."

Jinora blushes. Kai continues their conversation, waving his fork around as he speaks. "Yeah, she's awesome. You should have seen her on her first day here—six hours in surgery is killer but she doesn't even complain. She repaired a lacerated pulmonary artery like no one's business and did this technique I've never seen before to fix this kid's hemopneumothorax. It was amazing: I'm not even half the surgeon she is."

"Hey, come on," she says, shaking her head. "Don't be unfair to yourself, Kai. You're an awesome surgeon! Need I remind you how you saved Mrs. Sesi's daughter by giving her an emergency tracheotomy using an eyedropper and a pocket knife? You got head of surgery for a reason, you know."

"Yeah, Jin, but that was when my only competition for the post were Mako and…and Skoochy. Varrick didn't want to be cocky and give himself the job."

"You still had competition, Kai," Korra says with an eye roll. "Don't fish for compliments."

"I'm not _fishing_ , I'm being serious. No offense, Mako, but you didn't even want the position that much." Mako shrugs as if to say _true enough_ , and Kai bulldozes on. "Plus we all know that Skoochy would have rather died than—" His voice cuts off, and everyone in the room stops talking all at once. If there's anything that Jinora's learned in her four and a half months here, it's that nobody likes to bring up Skoochy in conversation, least of all around Kai. No one knows what to do now that Kai's brought him up in conversation. "…than have taken the job," he finally finishes, much quieter than before.

Jinora wants nothing more than to comfort Kai, but something tells her that that isn't such a good idea, mostly because she's around Akash. Not for the first time, she thinks of Skoochy, of the grinning, shaggy-haired man in the photograph under Kai's pillow. She wonders how he would have handled a situation like this.

Kiyi changes the subject. She rarely speaks, but when she does people tend to shut up and listen. "A-anyway," she whispers, "uh…have you guys heard that General Raiko's officially started his campaign for president next term?"

"He's running for real?" Korra says in surprise. At Kiyi's nod, she looks up to the ceiling of the tent as though she's praying for divine intervention. "Raava help him in his campaign, but he won't be getting my vote after how badly he treated Varrick over here."

After that, their conversation changes many times from politics to new surgery techniques being practiced in stateside hospitals to Bolin and Opal's wedding to Kai's latest letter to Yung, but Akash does not speak again until after the cooks start to serve dessert, which is a sort of fruit tart that's probably older than Rohan. "Let's get married."

Kai chokes on his forkful of food, which causes his eyes to stream with tears. Korra pounds him on the back. Mako and Bolin exchange fearful looks. Opal bites her lip. Mitali looks like she isn't sure what to say or do. Zin looks at his plate like it's the most interesting thing he's ever seen. Blood pounds in Jinora's ears and for a moment she debates passing out on the spot. "Ex—excuse me?" she sputters. Perhaps she'd just imagined him saying those fateful words. "W-what did you say?"

Akash remains undaunted. "I said, let's get married." _Oh Raava, he's actually serious._ "We're both here, we have our rings. You can have your friends act as bridesmaids or something, I bet there's a Raavanist monk in that little Podunk town down there—so why not? I mean, your tour isn't over until the war is over, and who knows how long that'll be. Plus imagine how long it'll be 'til we see each other again. Why not, Jinora? There's nothing stopping us. Let's get married."

"Akash, I…" She can't get married. Not to Akash, not to someone that doesn't respect her. Not to someone she doesn't love. She'd always gone along with this engagement because she'd never thought her wedding day would come, but now it's looming over her like a storm cloud and she can't back out of it. Spirits, she doesn't want to marry him. "I won't get married in a war zone. I can't…I won't without my parents and Ikki and Meelo and Rohan there too. I just…can't. You're going to have to respect that."

"Jinora," Akash hisses, "I will extend my stay if that's what you want—"

She wants to tear out her hair from frustration. "No, that's not what I want, Akash. I don't want to marry you now, and it has nothing to do with your business. It's bad timing." _That and the fact I don't love you, but there's no way I'm telling you that._ "So drop it. Please."

She had never wanted to marry him. Even before she had met Kai and had her feelings spontaneously combust, she'd known that to be true. She'd just never had the courage to say it out loud, to even postpone the wedding date, but now courage is welling up inside of her to say more than what she's already said, to toss the engagement ring in Akash's stupid face and call it quits forever.

"You heard her, Mr. Chow," Kai says. He sounds pleasant, but underneath the pleasant disposition lies a threat. " _Drop it_."

After glaring holes at both Jinora and Kai, Akash drops it.

"Mr. Chow," says one of the MPs that had escorted him here. Major Kang, if she's not mistaken. "We should leave if you're going to catch that flight back to Republic City."

"He's right, sir," says the other man. Captain Zhensheng, she believes. "Mr. Sakamoto won't be pleased if you miss the flight he specifically ordered for you."

Jinora wants to send baskets of flowers to everyone in the military police. Akash grumbles something under his breath in Major Kang and Captain Zhensheng's general directions, but he stands. "It was…lovely…to have met you all," he says courteously, with a quicksilver smile. He presses a chaste kiss to Jinora's cheek. "Goodbye, Jinora. I'll try my best to come back another time, but there's always letters until we see each other again."

She tries to smile back, but what happens instead is a crooked grimace. "Goodbye, Akash."

With a final wave to everyone in the mess tent and flanked by the MPs, Akash Chow disappears from the 6152nd as though he'd never been there at all.

* * *

In the days that follow Akash's visit, Kai does not speak to her.

She can't understand why. She hasn't said anything inappropriate to him, nor mocked him in any way. After they'd gone back to the Swamp after dinner, Kai hadn't even told her 'good night', he'd just gone straight to sleep. They'd even had a shift together in postop the next day, and he'd barely even acknowledged her. She has no idea what she's done to him and every time she tries to ask he goes off to spend time with Mitali or makes an excuse to go and check on a patient in postop.

Being ignored by a man that she calls her best friend is slowly killing her from the inside, but she's desperately trying not to show it lest she break down crying. She instead throws herself into her work and spends more time with Korra and Opal, helping the latter with her wedding plans and the former with some paperwork when Zhu Li has to drive up to Gaoling for the day to speak to some generals from I-Corps. It's a lot of work, but at least she's too busy to cry.

On her third day of being ignored, Jinora decides to hole herself inside the Swamp and write a long overdue letter to her mother, but the last thing she expects is for Captain Mitali Hema to enter the tent looking more awkward than she'd ever seen her.

"Captain Hema," she says with no small dose of shock, setting aside her pen and paper. "Can I help you?"

Mitali rocks back and forth on her heels. "Mitali, please," she corrects. "And—and I'd like to speak with you, uh, Jinora. About Kai."

Great. So even their new doctor has noticed that there's something going on between them. Her tone and disposition quickly turns hostile. "Alright," she says sharply. "What do you want to know? If this is about your relationship then I must confess that I know nothing. He hasn't talked to me in three days."

"I—I know," Mitali admits. "May I?" Jinora nods and Mitali takes a seat on the adjoining cot, clasping her hands together. "Look, Jinora, I know that we don't know each other very well, and—and that I've only been here for about a week and a half, but I know that you and Kai are closer than it seems."

"We're just friends." Somehow, saying this hurts her. As if her last four months means nothing. Saying that they're just casual acquaintances, just surgeon buddies, makes her upset.

"I'm not stupid, Jinora," Mitali says, surprising her yet again. "I know that you like Kai more than that. I don't know if something happened between you two recently but three days ago made it pretty clear that you don't love your fiancé. I swear that you looked ready to stab him every time he opened his mouth."

Jinora clears her throat. "Yes, it's true, I don't love Akash." She has to handle this carefully. "But if I were in love with Kai—and I'm not saying that I am—why would you think so?"

When Mitali speaks again, her voice is much softer. "Because I've seen how you look at him when he's not looking. I've seen how you look at me ever since Kai and I started a relationship." A twinge of guilt rises inside of Jinora, but Mitali's not done speaking. "Because you two know practically everything about each other. You're closer than my best friend and I—hell, you're closer than Major and Captain Lieng—and I know you two set the world record for that Satomobile thing together and he's constantly defending you and vice versa and—and when Akash wanted to have a wedding with you then and there, you told him no, and I don't think that your parents not being here was the only excuse. You love Kai, Jinora. And he loves you." She swallows. "And I like Kai, I do. Please don't think that I'm just shoving him off to you because I'm bored of him—that isn't true at all. I just…I just can't be in a relationship with someone who doesn't love me back."

Jinora feels as though someone has hit her in the face with something heavy. She hadn't expected Mitali to be so observant.

"So," Mitali says. "I've said my piece." She crosses her legs once, and then uncrosses them. "Now you tell me why you refuse to be with Kai."

"I can't." The words tumble out of her before she can stop them. "I owe to Akash—"

Mitali makes a really, _really_ annoying buzzer noise, like she's on one of those terrible radio game shows. "You don't owe him anything, Jinora. I mean, seriously. What's riding on your engagement, anyway?"

Jinora opens her mouth, and then closes it. "My father's running for reelection in two years," she finally says. Mitali raises an eyebrow, but says nothing. "He—he hasn't been getting a lot of support from the big business tycoons, like Akash's family and the Kuji family and the TongXing family…from a lot of families. He very nearly lost to Rizen Len last time, so he decided that if he was going to keep on being governor he needed to establish better relations with the big businesses. So he introduced me to Akash and told me that his next term was riding on our relationship." It actually feels good to get it all off her chest.

Mitali is silent for a long time. "Your father does realize that you guys live in a modern era where women can choose who they want to marry?" she finally asks. "I mean, it seems a bit old-fashioned to marry in order to secure political alliances."

Jinora nods. "I know, but…" She pauses. "My father says that the next term will be his last one before he retires, and then—"

"And then you and Akash can peacefully divorce without it affecting your father's political career?" She nods again. Mitali exhales heavily. "Raava, Jinora. Are you seriously going to suffer through a loveless marriage to a complete and utter prick when you could marry for love?"

"You think I actually _want_ to marry that bastard? I'm doing this for my father!"

"Who cares about your father?" Mitali snaps. "If he wants the vote of big businesses for his next term then maybe he should pass laws that help them instead of force his daughter into a loveless marriage to a guy that whose asshole levels are on par with Fire Lord Ozai!"

"How _dare_ you speak about my father that way? He's a good man!"

"I'm sure he is," Mitali says. Her sudden shift from anger to calm makes Jinora uneasy. "And if he's such a good man, then I'm sure he cares more about his family than Republic City and whether or not he can get reelected."

Before saying something else, Jinora takes the time to think about it. What would her parents say if she ends her engagement to Akash and brings Kai home? Her mother would probably love Kai. Ikki would probably have a crush on him. Meelo's too unpredictable and Rohan's young, but they'd probably like Kai too. Her father, on the other hand, wouldn't. He'd probably yell at him for tempting her away from a good marriage.

But would he come to terms with it eventually? Jinora thinks so.

Mitali's right. Running Republic City is important to her father, but in the end of the day he does always say that family is more important.

Jinora looks up at Mitali. "I just—I don't want to get in the way of your relationship with Kai, though." She may be many things, but she won't break up a happy relationship.

Mitali rolls her eyes. "Didn't you hear me earlier? I don't want to be in a relationship with someone who doesn't love me back, and I've had plenty of time to think this through. Kai's great, don't get me wrong. I just think that we're better off as friends." She gives Jinora a small smile. "He and you are the real deal, Jinora. And I think you should go and tell him that."

Jinora finds herself grinning at Mitali. Yes. Mitali's right. She can do this. She will go and tell him her feelings, Akash and her father's political career be damned. "Thank you, Mitali."

Mitali grins at her. "You can thank me later. Go on, go!" Jinora stands up, nearly tripping over her cot in her haste to get to the door. Before she can leave, Mitali says, "You had better tell me all the details about this later!"

"Alright," she promises with a giggle, and then she runs out of the tent.

It's sweltering outside today, but she doesn't even notice the heat, she's too busy looking for Kai. Zhu Li's back and she and Korra are making the rounds for inspections, Mako's chatting with Kiyi near the sand pit, Zin is walking to postop for his shift, and Bolin and Opal are walking back from the PX hand in hand. _Where is he? I know he's here somewhere!_

Finally, she spots him coming out of the Officer's Club, and she runs to him, her heart pounding in her chest out of fear and nerves. "Kai!" she shouts. He looks up at her. " _Kai_!"

His mouth opens to speak, but then a terrified look comes over his face just as an otherworldly screech fills the air. She's never seen him look so frightened, but before she can ask him what's wrong, a gunshot rings out.

Pain spirals in her shoulder. Her fingers move to touch it and come away bloody.

The realization that she's been shot is the last thing that goes through her mind before everything goes black.


	8. Fade In, Fade Out

There are only three times in Kai's life that he's ever been terrified out of his mind. The first time had been at the age of twelve, when he'd spent the better part of a week in the hospital at Yung's bedside because a drunken driver had crashed into their Satomobile. The second time had been at the age of twenty-two, when he'd held an envelope in his shaking hands that would dictate whether or not he had gotten accepted into medical school. The third time had been six months prior, when Skoochy had died on the table.

But now, after witnessing Jinora get shot, he thinks that he can bump up the number from three to four.

Jinora crumples to her knees, and that's the cue for Kai's brain to kick back into action and he sprints for her, catching her before she can hit the ground and potentially injure herself more. They can't stay there, because Jinora getting shot is apparently the catalyst for the New Freedom Fighters to begin shooting like maniacs at everyone in the 6152nd. Short-eared zozzled bastards. Kai could kill them with his bare hands.

As he sprints for the OR with Jinora in his arms bridal-style, everyone else seems to have the same idea as him, but not everyone is as successful—he sees Corporal Nilak take a bullet to the back and fall over, blood spreading beneath his body in a large puddle that stains the grass black, and Private Akuyama rushes in through a hail of gunfire to grab his body, miraculously dodging every bullet. Korra and Zhu Li have opened the doors to the OR and are practically yanking everyone in there. Bolin and Opal trip over Zin in their haste to get inside, and after what seems like years he and Jinora are safely inside. He drops Jinora gently onto an operating table just as Mitali, Mako, Kiyi and the others enter the operating room. Corporal Nilak is plopped on a table unceremoniously by Private Akuyama, and Mai helps a limping Sora wrap gauze around her ankle—she'd twisted it, apparently.

"…Kai." Jinora's awake now, and her pain-filled eyes lock onto his. He takes her hand in his, clenching it tightly. "Kai, I—I heard the bullet coming. I could hear it."

His breath freezes in his lungs.

 _"Wanna hear a funny one?" Skoochy exhales sharply. There's some blood splattered on his teeth. All around them the sounds of surgery are going on, accompanied by the moans of soldiers and the clink of surgical tools. Kai can't bring himself to care, not when Skoochy's bleeding out right in front of him. Sora passes him a scalpel, just as he'd ordered. "I…I h-heard the b-bullet coming. Just like in—in the movers."_

 _"So you'll change the title of the book, that's all," Kai says, trying his best to maintain a tone of levity. He needs to stay calm for both of their sakes. "'Sometimes You Hear the Bullet.' It's a better title anyway." After a feeble grin, Skoochy's eyes slide closed, and Kai's heart skips a beat. "Stay awake, Skooch," he orders the man on the table. "Damn it, do you hear me? Don't quit on me!" To Sora, he says, "What's the pulse?"_

 _"Sixty," she says in a tone that she reserves for grieving widows and base commanders who've lost their entire squads. It's entirely misplaced. Skoochy can't die. Not now._

 _To keep his composure, he says, "Give me some retraction and suction." Spirits, Skoochy's back looks like beef stew. The bullet had really torn through everything; he doesn't even know where to start._

 _The decision's made for him when Sora looks up and says, "No pulse."_

 _Without thinking (or even looking), Kai grabs an empty bottle of blood and hurls it across the room, hearing it shatter—which is exactly how he feels. He knows something has to break before he does. Except for a cry of surprise from one of the spectators as they dodge the flying container, no one says a word._ _Even the moaning soldiers are quiet, as if they can tell that this isn't the right time to gripe. No. This can't be happening. It—it can't be happening. Skoochy can't be dead. "I'm going to open the chest. Give me a knife." If Skoochy even thinks that he can get away from Kai that easily, he's sorely mistaken. "Come on, Sora! Give me the goddamn knife!"_

 _"Kai," Varrick says gently, "go help Mako."_

 _"I can't—I—Varrick, he still has a chance, I have—" Desperate, he grabs the knife out of Sora's hands, makes an incision and starts to massage his friend's heart, trying to ignore the nauseating feeling associated with such an invasive act. He wants to scream, to say something, anything, but all intelligent sounds fail him. His heart starts to constrict every time he squeezes, and his breath falters. "Skoochy, wake up! Come on! Come on, damn it, come on!"_

 _"He's already_ dead _, Kai!" Korra snaps. "He's dead!" She takes a long, ragged breath, reminding Kai or Skoochy's last breath, but that's impossible, because Skoochy's not…he's not…_

 _He finally looks down, stopping the heart massage. His friend is gray and motionless. There's no more blood trickling from his wound._

 _Skoochy is gone. He can deny it and he can fight it and he can delude himself, but it doesn't change the truth. The truth is that Skoochy Nakamura is lying dead on the operating table of a makeshift surgical hospital and there are no measures that can bring him back. It's too late._

 _It's too late._

"It's okay, Jinora." His voice sounds foreign to his own ears. He feels like he could choke from the weight of his own tears. "It'll all be okay. Lemme—lemme see the wound, okay?"

Jinora nods weakly—she's awake, though, and he'll take a thousand weak nods over her being dead and gone forever—and just like they would do any other injury, he gives himself ten seconds to perform a cursory examination of the ragged hole carved out by the bullet that had entered Jinora's shoulder. It's swollen, inflamed, and still bleeding, and he probes the area with deft fingers. When Jinora winces, he nearly withdraws but soldiers on through. Her collarbone's fine, but based on how he's probing it it probably hurts like fuck. Wait. It's still bleeding. Oh no. Shit. This isn't good.

"Jinora?" He waits until her eyes blink open, and for every second it takes he gets another gray hair. "Jin, it's hit your subclavian artery."

She nods, processing the information. The blood is still oozing from her shoulder and he rips off a piece of his shirt and puts pressure on the wound. "'kay," she whispers. "Kai…m'sorry."

He's so surprised that he stumbles over his next breath. "Sorry? What for?"

"For m-making you…m-mad." She inhales sharply. He bites his lip hard to keep himself from crying—he needs to stay strong. "M'sorry."

Oh Spirits. His silent treatment. That's what she's talking about. She's been shot in the shoulder and the bullet hit her subclavian artery, but she's still apologizing for his blatant display of pigheadedness. Unbelievable. "It's okay…I—it's not your fault, Jin. I'm sorry, I was an idiot; I shouldn't have been such a bastard to you." He's aware that he's rambling but he can't bring himself to care. "Stay awake for me for a second, Jin, I'm going to be right back. Mitali!" The shout gets her attention, and she crosses the room from where she'd been having a quiet conversation with Zin. "Mitali, watch Jinora for a second, I'm going to go and scrub up."

He's halfway out the door to the room where they keep their scrubs when Korra grabs his shoulder and spins him around, Mako at her heels. He's already scrubbed up to perform surgery on Corporal Nilak, and Kiyi's waiting for him. "How is she?" Korra asks in a low voice. Behind her, Mitali's talking to Jinora to keep her awake but Kai can't make out any of the words. The gunfire outside has stopped, if anything. "Kai?"

"Bullet's hit the subclavian artery." Korra winces. She knows how bad that is. "I'm going to go and scrub up."

"Kai, are you sure you'll be okay to do this?" Mako asks. He means well, Kai knows he does, but that doesn't stop his fists from clenching together. "I mean…after what happened last time and all, none of us would think any less of you if you let me or Mitali operate—"

"I'm operating on her, damn it!" By Raava, is this what Korra had felt all that time ago when Varrick had suggested that Opal or one of the other nurses operate on Asami? He can't stomach this feeling and he can't even support his statement; all he knows is that he has to operate on her or he'll never forgive himself. "Please, Korra, you have to let me do this. She's my Asami, Korra. I—I'm the reason we've been fighting the last few days, and I need to fix this. I need to operate on her, please. Please let me do this."

Korra stares at him, long and hard and clearly not liking what she sees, but it's clear that both of them know that no man or woman alive will be able to hold Kai back long enough to keep him from operating on Jinora. "Alright, Kai, just be careful."

Spirits, he could kiss her. "Thank you," he says, wanting to hug his friend but not having enough time. With a sloppy salute in their direction, he rushes out of the room and scrubs up, his hands shaking while he does so. Like hell he's going to let Jinora die. He's not about to watch someone he cares about die on his table.

Not again.

* * *

Kai wants to perform the surgery by himself—he's head of surgery for a reason after all—but Korra orders Opal to scrub up too and tells Zin to work as the anesthesiologist. After he makes Opal triple check that he's sterile (the last thing he wants to do is accidently give Jinora an infection) and Zin presses the anesthesia mask to Jinora's face, he begins. Thankfully Mitali had put enough pressure on the wound to keep Jinora from bleeding out in the time it had taken him to scrub up, but it's still bleeding so much that his gloves are soaked with blood after a few seconds and he hasn't even found the bullet yet.

"What's her pulse and BP?"

"One-twenty for the pulse, eighty over sixty for the BP," says Opal. Okay. That's fine, he can work with that.

"Give me suction," Kai orders, and Opal does. Shit, it's hard to see. Before he finds the bullet—and wherever it is, it could be slowly killing Jinora because it had nicked a bit of fabric with it, they'd all seen the hole in her shirt when they'd cut it from her—he has to repair the subclavian artery. It's not his first time doing this, far from it, but this is _Jinora_ , damn it. He can't fuck up with Jinora, not after he's done so so many times before. "Thanks. Okay. Found it. I need the seven-oh silk and a—" Suddenly he stops, taking a closer look at the artery. It's not torn. It's lacerated. Shit. Now he has to do anastomosis, and that's far harder than a simple suture and patch. _Wait. Why not both?_ Oh, this will be risky. Very risky, but it'll work. It has to. "Scratch that. Give me seven-oh silk and clips. And forceps and a clip remover when I say."

Saying a quick prayer under his breath, he begins. First he places two stay sutures (with the seven-oh silk, of course) to align the two vessel ends and reduce tension. After checking that there was sufficient tissue available and that the vessel ends were correctly aligned and suitably positioned for clip application, he does an eversion of the vessel edges using alignment forceps. He places the clips in the anterior aspect of the artery first and after a moment's pause completes the anastomosis by placing the clips in the posterior aspect of the vessel. Now he can take a breath, as the artery's finally stopped bleeding. They'll get Jinora hooked up to a transfusion of Type O blood later so the blood will replenish. He closes the anterior aspect first, using a suitable number of clips, and then does the same to the posterior aspect. Finally, two clips are placed over the stay sutures—thus avoiding contact between the suture and the interior of the vessel on eversion. He carefully checks the anastomosis for leaks, and applies one more clip.

"Nice work, Kai," Zin says. Korra lets out a whistle of appreciation. "BP and pulse are steady, by the way."

"Thanks, Zin," he says, and means it. "Pass me the polypropylene, Opal."

Opal gives him the polypropylene, and he places two stitches one centimeter cranial and one centimeter caudal to the anastomotic line to measure subsequent longitudinal growth. The sutures are placed in untreated left-side vessels, together with a third suture corresponding to the anastomotic line in treated vessels. He removes the clips, holding his breath, and then releases it. The subclavian artery's okay. One thing down, one to go. "Give me suction," he says to Opal, and she gives him suction. He can't see anything for a couple of seconds but then there's a telltale glint of metal and he lets out a quiet sigh of relief. "Got it. I see it."

"Has it caught anything?"

"Just the pectoral muscle, it's not damaged badly. A bit inflamed but that's all." He takes a closer look and gulps. There's the bullet all right…and with it is a piece of cloth. It's tiny, but it's there. Shit. That means if he can't get it out, it'll suppurate and fester. "Give me the tweezers."

Opal gives the tweezers to him. The entire room holds their breath as Kai gently but firmly removes the bullet from the pectoral muscle and drops it into a dish with a clang. The bullet is whole and fine, and the piece of cloth that Kai had been worrying about is there too. No telltale glints of metal to be seen. No stray threads of cloth. Seems as though everything is fine, but that doesn't stop him from looking around for another five minutes desperately trying to find anything that can spell danger for Jinora.

"I think we can start to close up now, Kai," Opal says.

"I—no, not yet, there could be something in there—"

"You're the head of surgery, Kai," Opal says firmly. "If there were something out of the ordinary in Jinora's shoulder you would have seen it by now."

"I—" She's right, but he can't help but be cautious. He takes a final look at Jinora's face; even though most of it is covered by the anesthesia mask, it's calm and still. She doesn't look like she's in pain. "You're right. Help me close up, Opal."

Together, they finish closing up and the crowd around them slowly disperses as Private Akuyama and Sergeant Kuji place Jinora carefully onto a stretcher and take her into post-op. He strips off his gloves, which are drenched in Jinora's blood—a fact he can't dismiss no matter how hard he tries. He'd just performed one of the trickiest surgeries in today's time to save her life. He'd gotten the bullet out. He'd checked for infection. He'd done everything he could.

 _And it still might not be enough._ Leaning heavily against the table, the fatigue he'd been holding back sweeps through him like a tornado. Utter exhaustion replaces his adrenaline rush and it threatens to drop him where he stands.

A hand touches his shoulder, warm and soft. He glances up to see Mitali watching him with concern. "You should get some rest, Kai," she tells him. "The only other person in here is Corporal Nilak and not only are you in no condition to operate, but I think that Kiyi and Mako can handle it on their own."

He's too drained to think of anything clever. "Is that an order, Captain?"

"If it isn't, I'll make it one," Korra says, coming over to scrutinize him. "Go rest, Kai. You're no use to us here."

Numbly he shakes his head, his gaze affixed on the door Jinora had been taken through. "I can't. I have to see…she might—the pressure's not…besides, I'll just…" He knows it's illogical and he's not making any sense, but he can't help but fear that if he leaves Jinora now then she'll never wake up again.

Korra nods at Mitali, who unties Kai's mask, drops it on the table and squeezes his shoulder gently. "Come on, Kai," the captain says softly. "We'll wake you if there's any change." And with that, she leads him away from the table and back to the Swamp, which is riddled with bullet holes. Kai's not even worried that the snipers will come back—once they cause a bit of mayhem and despondency they fade back into the shadows like they'd never been there at all. Kai hopes that whoever had shot Jinora will die from a bullet to the shoulder; that'd be some good irony.

Kai plops down on his cot, mechanically removing his combat boots. Spirits, it's already nightfall. How had time passed so quickly? "You can go now, Mitali," he says. "I'll do my best to get some shut-eye, but no promises. My eyelids have always been kind of insubordinate."

Mitali doesn't laugh. "Kai," she says. "We need to talk."

His least favorite five words in the world. How can she want to talk about their relationship when Jinora's been shot and could be dying as they speak? "I don't think now's the best time," he deflects.

"On the contrary." She straightens up and Kai can't help but think that he's never seen her look so strong. "Now is the perfect time, so listen up because I'm only saying this once." He braces himself. "I know that you've been ignoring Jinora the last few days because you've been jealous of her obviously wonderful relationship with Akash Chow, but she told me today that she couldn't care less about him and she's only marrying him because her father needs the vote of the big businesses in order to win his next election. There's no love or friendship there at all. Not like anything that you have with her."

Even though her words make him feel like he's been hit in the face with something heavy, he bristles because he can't force himself to think of this right now. "Look, Mitali, I don't know what you think or what you're implying—"

"You're right, you don't, which is why I'm telling you," she snaps. He's startled into silence. "She's in love with you, for fuck's sake, and I know that you're in love with her. She was coming over to you today to tell you how she _felt_ , Kai, and if she wakes up and you give her the silent treatment or lie and tell her that you don't feel the same way, I swear to all that's holy that I will kill you."

He'd lost track of everything she'd said past _she's in love with you_. "Jinora's—she's in love with me?"

"Yes, she is," Mitali says with the air of someone absolutely fed up with everything. "I shouldn't even have to be the one to tell you, damn it, you should've figured it out on your own. Look, I know you feel the same way about her. You can pretend to be into me all you'd like, Kai, but I'm not blind—I can see the way you two look at each other."

Spirits, he's a horrible person. Not only has he made Jinora feel worthless, but he's also succeeded in making Mitali feel bad about herself too. "Mitali, I—" He stops. He doesn't think that there are enough words to describe the swirl of emotions tearing him apart. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me, Kai," she says softly. "I don't need any apologies from you, okay? I just—I really like you and I want you to be happy, alright? If you'll be happier without me then I have to live with that."

Next to Jinora, Mitali's probably the most mature woman he'd ever met. He doesn't think he could've done the same thing if he were in her shoes. "Thanks for telling me this," he says for lack of anything better to say. "I'm—I wish things could've been better between us."

"There's always the next war, y'know," she says with a laugh. The corner of his mouth twitches upward. "No, but seriously, I think that I could handle just being friends with you." She sticks out her hand. Her confidence fades slightly, leaving her wary. "Would you be open to that too?"

Without hesitation he shakes her hand. "Yeah, I would."

Mitali smiles at him. "And now that we've got that settled," she says, releasing his hand and moving toward the door, "I'm going to go back to post-op and monitor Jinora for a bit. Get some sleep, Kai, okay?"

"Yes ma'am." He gives her a half-hearted salute, lying down on his cot gingerly. Spirits, even his pillows smell like gunpowder. "I'll do my best."

* * *

 _The blood is dark and glistening, soaking the fabric of Jinora's shirt. It's beginning to pool beneath her. There are gunshots all around them but Kai can't move, he can't force himself to do anything but hold pressure and pray that the New Freedom Fighters won't get any better at aiming in the next ten minutes or so._

 _"Jinora?" he asks. Spirits, if his voice is shaking as much as he thinks it is then they're both doomed. "Jinora, can you hear me?"_

 _Jinora flinches and groans beneath him, but her eyes lock onto him with an intensity that Kai's never seen before. "Kai." Her voice is a gurgle and oh Spirits, she's choking on blood. The bullet must've hit something internal and important. Shit. "Kai, it's alright…just…just leave…it…Kai…"_

 _"Like hell," he snaps. She's pale as a sheet, panting and shaking as breathing seems to become more and more exhausting to her. Her face is a mask of pure agony and it's actually causing him pain just to look at it. "Shit," he mutters to himself, pressing harder on the wound. There's screaming near him now but he can't bring himself to care. "It's alright, Jinora, you're going to be alright now, I promise." Suddenly he notices her wince but doesn't ease on the pressure, knowing that he's the only thing keeping her insides inside. "What is it?"_

 _"It doesn't…doesn't hurt anymore." Her breathing seems even more labored and painful compared to a few seconds ago. "N-not…gonna make it, K-Kai…" She'd looked frightened before, reminding Kai of Skoochy right before the end, of the hundreds of wounded soldiers just before they'd gone under the anesthesia. But now—now she looks resolute. She knows that she's dying and she's okay with it._

 _"No." It comes out as a shout and he dials his volume back, not wanting to scare her. "No, Jinora, you're going to be fine. We just have to wait a little, you'll be okay, I swear. I promise."_

 _"M'not afraid," she whispers hoarsely. Her eyelids flicker. She shows no sign that she can even hear him. "I—I love you, Kai."_

 _"Jinora," he chokes, tearing blurring his vision, "Jinora,_ please _—"_

 _Her head lolls to the side, gaze slightly to the left of him, and then she breathes her last, a bit of blood speckling her lips as she dies._

 _"No, no, no…" Kai's heart is thudding against his ribcage as he shifts forward and fumbles at Jinora's face, gripping her jaw between numb fingers. "Damn it, Jinora, don't do this. Come on, please." His voice is shaking, he is shaking. She is still. "Don't die, please…please, Jinora you can't just—come on, ask me…ask me if I love you too, damn it." Trembling, he searches for a pulse, finding none. "You can't just give up like that! Don't leave me! Jinora!"_

Kai jerks awake with a violent twitch, immediately turning over and emptying the meager contents of his stomach into the bucket by his cot. Slowly unclenching his shaking hands, he wipes his eyes and shudders. His throat feels raw but he doesn't remember screaming. Jinora's cot looms in the corner, a silent witness to his dream. He can't stay here any longer—if he does, he'll go stir-crazy before the end of the night.

Pushing back the door, he stumbles out of the Swamp, traces of blood and dirt still clinging to him. He's still in his socks but can't bring himself to care. He shoves his hands in his pockets and unsteadily wanders over to the post-op ward. He stands outside for a long time, just watching the doors. Loitering nearby are Private Akuyama and Sergeant Igoru, who edge away from him, obviously spooked by his appearance and glassy expression. Taking a deep breath, he opens the doors and steps through.

There's maybe ten people in the room now—they've been short on battles this week, according to the gossip Zhu Li and Korra hear from the generals, but they still have overflow from last week's major surgery session. Corporal Nilak rests on a cot away from the wounded soldiers currently playing cards in the back. Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji sit near him, just talking quietly under their breath like they're afraid they'll wake him. Opal and Zin give him sympathetic looks as they pass by—apparently it's their shift today.

"Why are you up?" Kai turns around to see Kiyi standing behind him with her arms crossed over her chest. Only in post-op does she look more in her element, less shy, more commanding—more Lieutenant Nakahara than timid Nurse Kiyi. "Major Iluak said you were asleep and there was no point for you to go on shift."

"Couldn't sleep," he says truthfully. "Nightmares." Then, after an awkward pause, he says, "Where's Jinora?"

"Two cots down from Corporal Nilak," she says, pointing. There's no pity in her voice, just sympathy, and he inwardly thanks her for it. "BP and pulse are normal. Anesthesia should have worn off by now, so you can sit with her now."

"Thanks, Kiyi," he says gratefully, turning around. "I owe you one."

"Can I cash in on it now?" Intrigued, he turns back to her. "Tell Major Lieng that if he truly wants to go out with me, he needs to ask me from the heart and not because he's looking for a rebound from Major Iluak."

"Kiyi, since you've let me sit with Jinora, I'll do it for free," he promises. She smiles and salutes him, leaving him to do nothing except walk over to Jinora's bedside and plop down on the nearest plastic stool.

She looks fine, all things considered. Her wrist has an IV tube sticking out of it and a saline solution is attached to her other wrist, replenishing the blood that she had lost during the operation. The blanket goes up to her chest. Her hair is up in a braid, away from her face, and she looks relaxed enough that Kai can pretend she's just sleeping. _The anesthesia should've worn off by now_ , he thinks, and takes her hand in his. _She'll be fine._

"Hey." His voice sounds funny to his own ears. "Jin, I—I'm sorry." Well, it's a start, if anything. "I should've—I shouldn't have ignored you for the last three days, I just…I was jealous of you, as stupid as it is. I mean, it was clear to me that you hated Akash after that one dinner but I was just…just fed up with everything. Fed up that that piece of shit treated you like that, fed up that you were going to have to marry him forever and well, I just took it out on you like the stupid bastard I am." He squeezes her hand tighter, willing back the tears. "Please wake up, Jin, so I can tell you this to your face. I mean, what kind of apology would it be if you weren't even awake to hear it?" He laughs and it sounds stilted and lame. "I've been scared shitless since the operation, since the very moment you got shot because it's made me realize what I should've already known from the beginning: that I don't want to lose you. I don't want you to go because…because I need you. Because I love you."

Something about saying it out loud to her makes the air in the room seem magical, like anything can happen. The word scares him a little because he's never told any girl that he loves her before, but that just makes this more special, doesn't it?

"I know that saying that doesn't cancel out my absolutely shitty behavior. I'm definitely expecting you to be angry because if I hadn't given you the silent treatment then you wouldn't have been there that day and you wouldn't have gotten shot and—" He bites his lip. "But I love you, Jinora. It's not the nerves or the pity or anything talking. I do." He sighs. "I just wanted you to know that, okay? Just in case you—" That's enough of that. He won't think of the unthinkable. "I love you."

Just as he's about to get up and perhaps get a cup of coffee from the mess tent so he won't fall asleep at her side, Jinora stirs, her head slightly shifting on the pillow.

He holds his breath, suddenly terrified all over again. What if there's been a complication in the surgery? What if she wakes up and can't move her arm? What if she has amnesia? What if she hates him? "Jinora?" He squeezes her hand again. "Jinora, wake up. Jinora, it's me, Kai."

Before he knows it, Opal is at his side. "Jinora, can you hear us?" To Kiyi, who's standing nearby, she orders, "Go and get Korra now! Tell her Jinora's waking up!" To Jinora, she says, "Come on, wake up, it's alright."

After a few moments—during which Kai wonders if he'd hallucinated the whole thing—Jinora lets out a small moan and opens her eyes, immediately squeezing them shut because of the brightness in the room. At Opal and Kai's order, someone turns down the lights, and Jinora opens her eyes again. Opal begins checking Jinora's blood pressure and her pulse and her reflexes—thankfully she does because Kai can't do more than just stand stupidly at Jinora's side and watch her blink blearily around the room.

"BP's one-fifteen over eighty, pulse is eighty," Opal reports just as Korra comes running through the doors. This is the most commotion they've ever had over a patient and several of the soldiers in the room look confused to see every nurse and doctor on shift fussing over Jinora. "Reflexes are a bit groggy but fine."

"Give her some space, everyone," Korra orders. With a wink at Kai, she says, "You'd better let her doctor check her out."

Opal, Zin, Kiyi and the corpsmen back away, leaving Kai alone at Jinora's bedside. If Korra weren't like an older sister to him, he'd have kissed her.

Jinora tries to speak, her voice failing her, and Kai disappears for all of thirty seconds to get her a cup full of ice chips, which she then downs like she's been deprived of water for the last week. "Hey," she says hoarsely to Kai.

His usual witty comments failing him, Kai settles for brushing his hand across Jinora's forehead.

"I love you," is all he can manage to say. And it's all that needs to be said.


	9. A Friendly Game

Contrary to popular belief, all of the medical drama radio shows and movers aren't completely accurate. Even before Jinora had gone into medical school, she'd always scoffed at the way that the heroes and heroines bounced back so easily from debilitating gunshot wounds and comas and imminent death, as if the thought of medication and surgery and rehabilitation were all too horrible to be considered. As a result of one too many medical drama movers on Ikki's behalf, Jinora had entered medical school with the intention to dispel these misconceptions.

It's been about ten days since she'd woken up in postop with her shoulder in a sling and she can't help but wish that her life were a mover so her recovery could be sped up. It's not that she dislikes her friends caring for her, far from it; she just hates feeling so useless. She wishes that she could be helping Kai and Mitali and Mako make their rounds, not be their patient.

She expresses this thought to Kai one day in the middle of her physical therapy. Kai, to his everlasting credit, doesn't tell her off for having these feelings; he just looks sympathetic. "I'd be more surprised if you weren't feeling like this," he admits. "I'd feel the same if I were you. But I promise that you'll be fine just in time for our next meatball surgery session."

"That depends on whether or not we'll have a meatball surgery session soon," Mitali says, plopping down on a chair at Jinora's bedside. Her scrubs are stained with specks of blood and sputum from a Sergeant Kiko Jiang, who'd developed bronchitis yesterday and hadn't stopped coughing since. Thankfully they'd just gotten new supplies of throat lozenges and acetaminophen, so Jiang would be feeling much better soon. "You know that we're in a truce because of the Earth Day Celebrations."

"Right, I keep forgetting about that." Once every two years, thousands of athletes from all over the Four Nations meet up in a city (this year, they're all meeting up in Capital City) and participate in a variety of competitions, both on land and in water. Of course, the events change depending on whether the Earth Day Celebrations are being held in the winter or the summer, but as it's currently midway through the summer, the athletes will be partaking in long-distance sprinting and archery and swimming rather than skiing and snowboarding. There'd been a lot of talk about cancelling them because of the war, but eventually the president of the United Republic and Hotah Deng, the leader of the New Freedom Fighters, had reached an agreement to keep them going during a three week long ceasefire. Jinora wishes that the 6152nd could have better coverage of them—Zhu Li and Korra have been keeping the radios tuned to the stations covering the events ever since the Celebrations began, but it'd been hard to have a good connection ever since Private Akuyama had accidentally spilled coffee on Zhu Li's equipment.

Kai keeps the conversation going. "I bet Mako ten yuans that the United Republic will win the hundred meters relay this year."

"No way," Jinora immediately says, shaking her head. If there's one thing she knows, it's sports. "There's no way that they'll win, not with the Fire Nation being as good as it is."

"What about the marathon?" Mitali asks, leaning forward in her chair. "I have good odds that Neeraj Vaura's going to win that."

"Don't kid yourself," Kai scoffs. "It's obviously going to be Makira Yamato."

Jinora shakes her head at Kai's assessment. "I highly doubt that she's going to be able to win."

"Why not? She won the last two races—"

"That's my point, she's all tired out. Now she has to run a marathon." Jinora can't help but giggle at the affronted look on Kai's face. He looks as though someone had insulted his whole family, not debated the winner of the Earth Day Celebration marathon.

Mitali tries to hide her smirk behind her hand and fails. "I'm betting on Zaron Tsonga for the two hundred meter dash, personally."

"I'm betting on him too, personally," says Korra, nearly startling Jinora out of her wits, "but my mom and dad aren't pleased about that. They keep asking me where my patriotism is, but after I told them that my patriotism died when Kudu Anorak tripped over his shoelaces four years ago." Jinora and Kai both laugh, remembering that. Anorak's mistake had been talked about for months after that. "Either way, Captain Hema, I came over to tell you that Opal needs you to help her out with getting the new supplies out of the truck and into the inventory tent."

Mitali curses. "Shit, I forgot I said I'd help her with that." Jumping to her feet, she says, "I'll see you in a bit, Jinora. Kai."

Jinora smiles at her as she goes. Sometimes she still can't believe how hostile she'd been to Mitali less than two weeks ago—now they're nearly as close as she is with Opal and Korra. Kai's pleased about her friendship with Mitali as well; he'd commented once that he'd lost loads of stress now that they were pleasant with each other and Jinora had socked him on the arm.

As for Kai…

Spirits, sometimes she thinks that she's living in a dream—and why wouldn't she? After all, she'd woken up from surgery to find him at her side saying that he loved her. It'd taken her some time to muster up the strength to reciprocate that statement, and when she had, his smile could have powered Republic City for two months. It'd only been about a week since then, and although that week had been filled with physical therapy and morphine and being trapped in postop, she'd never been happier.

She's finally happy. She just needs to get rid of Akash. She needs to write to her fiancé (soon to be ex-fiancé) and tell him that she's breaking off the engagement. Then she'll write her parents so they won't die from shock at her brash actions. And then…then it'll all be perfect.

"Hey." Kai nudges her arm. Korra's disappeared, presumably to continue her shift. "What're you thinking about?"

She looks up, smiling slightly. "Just how happy I am to be with you."

Kai fake-gags, but beneath the disgusted façade she can see that he's happy too. "Wow, Captain Gyatso, where'd you learn to be so sentimental?"

Her smile widens. This, right here, right now, is perfect. "Only from the best, Captain Wen."

* * *

Following her discharge from postop, everything goes back to normal—or at least as normal as life can be in Uijeongbu. Bolin decides to ask Yama Song, the seamstress in the neighboring town, to make his tuxedo for the wedding, while Opal asks her mother to fly in her own wedding dress so Opal can use it for the wedding. Korra writes to Asami, whose unit has been sent to supervise the Earth Day Celebrations, and asks for news both from her and about the Celebrations. Mako and Kiyi continue to dance around each other. Corporal Nilak is referred to Gaoling due to his back injury, which prevents him from active duty. (They throw him a going-away party that lasts well into the early hours of the morning and ends with Mitali and Zin falling asleep on top of each other, Mako singing drinking songs in Luoxi's until his voice gives out, and Zhu Li talking shit about the generals on both sides of the war.) They continue to play poker and organize card games and drink Kai's moonshine and listen to the Celebrations over the radio. Life goes on.

The newest adjustment comes five days after Corporal Nilak leaves for Gaoling, when Korra announces that they need to start getting in shape. "I know that most of you are doctors and nurses," she declares to a group of fifty-seven very stunned people. Zhu Li stands stoically at her side. "And corpsmen and cooks and regular people. We appreciate all of your service to the sixty-one fifty-second, but it's recently come to my attention that we need to start strengthening and bettering ourselves."

Jinora winces, knowing exactly what had started Korra's train of thought. Yesterday an ambulance had turned over on its way out of the compound. Luckily there'd been no patients inside and the driver had escaped unhurt. She, Kai, Mitali, Mako, Bolin, Kiyi, Sora, Mai, Xióng, Zin, Private Akuyama, Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji had all attempted to lift the ambulance out of the ditch and turn it right-side-up, but had failed. Then, just as they'd given up and Zhu Li had gone to get Korra, four MPs in the neighboring town had rushed in, righted the ambulance, and had run off just as Korra had exited her office. It hadn't exactly painted an impressive picture of the 6152nd.

"You guys are in sorry shape," Korra continues, a maniacal gleam in her eye. She looks rather like Varrick in that moment. "This is a mobile hospital. If we ever have to bug out you won't be able to lift a tent pole."

"Great," Kai says in an undertone to Jinora. "Now we'll all have to do morning calisthenics until everyone gains a pound of muscle."

"As nice of an idea that is, Captain Wen," Korra says, and really, how in the world does she keep hearing them? They aren't speaking particularly loudly. "I'm afraid I had something else in mind. Something better." Jinora happens to like Korra a lot, but the woman is career military and she's not sure if the unit will survive anything that Korra counts as fun. "You will all exercise, and you will all get in shape. I do realize, Kai," she says with a mock glare in his direction, "that standing outside at five in the morning flapping your arms is boring and not exactly motivating." She waits for everyone to stop murmuring and for the stream of sarcastic commentary to stop before she continues. "So here's my idea. I know that almost all of us have been following the Earth Day Celebrations pretty closely. I know we'd all like to be there—"

"Or anywhere else, for that matter," Opal says to Bolin, who snorts and tries to disguise it as a cough.

Korra doesn't look fooled. "Since we can't leave without threat of getting shot—not to mention that the generals will be pissed if we can't fix up their soldiers—we're going to hold our own little Earth Day Celebrations right here."

This starts the murmurs right back up again. Their own Earth Day Celebrations? It's not what Jinora had been expecting Korra to suggest, but she happens to like the idea. As she looks around, Kai's nodding, his competitive streak obviously flaring up. (Hers is too, she just hides it better.) Mitali looks like she's not quite sure what to think. Bolin and Mako, who'd both pro-wrestled in college, are looking at each other with gleeful expressions. Opal, Zin, and Mitali look okay with the idea, whereas Mai, Kiyi, Sora, and Xióng look petrified at the thought of having to compete against the rest of the unit. The corpsmen around Jinora don't much look like they like the idea either.

"And might I mention the little incentive?" Korra smirks at everyone like she's the owl-cat that ate the canary-mouse. "Each member of the winning team will get three days of R&R during the next truce."

Korra's newest statement elicits far more excitement than her previous one. Mai and Kiyi and Sora and Xióng and the corpsmen are all bouncing up and down from happiness. Unlike Varrick, Korra rarely hands out shore leave passes, which makes this treat all the more better. Three days of R&R—Jinora thinks that Corporal Nilak would've murdered someone for a prize like that.

"How should the teams be split up?" Sergeant Igoru asks.

"Boys versus girls!" shouts Private Akuyama, whose suggestion is immediately shot down. As their unit consists of thirty-five men and and twenty-three women, that's not exactly fair.

Kai suggests doctors versus nurses, but that gets vetoed due to the fact that only twelve of them have medical degrees—and Bolin isn't even a medical doctor—and it won't be fair to the corpsmen.

"Actually," Korra says thoughtfully, "that's not a bad idea. We can split the Earth Day Celebration games: one day for the enlisted men and one day for the officers—oh come on," she says to the booing crowd, "it's not that bad of an idea. In fact, I'm agreeing to it. For the medical staff and Bolin, it'll be…hmm. Doctors versus nurses. Yeah. Doctors versus nurses." She grins. "And for the corpsmen…well, that's trickier. What do you think, Zhu Li?"

"I don't know, Major," says Zhu Li without even looking up from the clipboard that she's scribbling on. "You're the one in charge, you know."

Korra stops, obviously surprised. "Um. Okay. How about privates and PFCs versus corporals and sergeants?" The enlisted men and women seem to like the idea. "Alright. Kai, as head of surgery, you can be the captain of Team Doctors." Kai grins at that, as do the others. "And unless anyone has an objection, I'd like to crown Lieutenant Opal Beifong the captain of Team Nurses."

Jinora's brow furrows and she raises her hand while people congratulate Opal and Kai. "Wait," she says once everyone's attention is on her. "How're our teams going to be split up? There's five doctors and seven nurses."

Korra looks like she hadn't considered that. "Huh. I—oh, I've got it. Lieutenant Yamato," Zin's head shoots up, and he looks rather like someone who'd fallen asleep in class only to wake up to a question he doesn't know, "if it's possible, can you join Team Doctors just to make the numbers even? I promise that you'll still have your status as a nurse secured."

Zin bites his lip, clearly considering it. "Uh, alright, Major. I'll take one for the team." He sends a wink toward Sora and Mai, who giggle to themselves. To Kai, Jinora, Mitali, Mako, and Bolin, he says, "Hope you don't mind having me on your team."

"Not in the slightest," Mitali says reassuringly. She looks like she's blushing a little, but Jinora concludes that it's probably just a result of the heat. "Welcome to the team, Zin."

"As for the enlisted men and women…privates and PFCs, your team captain will be Private Akuyama." As Private Akuyama had revealed his bravery in saving Corporal Nilak's life that fateful day (Zhu Li's even working on filing the paperwork that would get him an Indigo Crux), no one is against Korra's choice. "Corporals and sergeants, your team captain will be…Sergeant Kuji." That decision is met with cheers of approval, although Corporal Tikka looks slightly upset that she hasn't been chosen. "Perfect. Sergeant Kuji, Private Akuyama, Captain Wen, and Lieutenant Beifong, we'll all meet up later in my office and go over the ground rules. The games'll start tomorrow at oh-eight-hundred, and may the best team win."

* * *

Back when Colonel Varrick had been the CO, he'd declared the title of the Officer's Club to be outdated and let all of the enlisted men and women frequent the club as well. He'd claimed that it had been out of the goodness of his heart, but Kai and Mako are both convinced that he'd done that so he could get closer to Zhu Li. Whatever the reason, the Officer's Club is popular with everyone in the 6152nd and really gets into full swing in the evenings.

Close to forty people are packed into the small room the night that Korra had announced the creation of the 6152nd Earth Day Celebrations. Corporal Tikka plays piano while people dance—Bolin with a giggling Xióng, Mai with Sora, Mako with Kiyi, etcetera. Zin and some others have begun a game of cards in the corner. Mitali sits next to Jinora at the bar, and the two of them talk over the small bowls of bar snacks that Sergeant Igoru, who's acting as a bartender, provides for them.

"So." Jinora nudges Mitali's elbow, startling the other doctor into nearly overturning her drink. "What's going on with you and Zin?"

"Last I checked nothing romantic." Mitali's cheeks go pink as she plays with the straw in her glass. "We're just friends." She pauses, and for a moment Jinora thinks that she'll elaborate, but then a loud whoop from Bolin drowns her out. The psychiatrist runs over to Mitali and Jinora, throwing his arms over their shoulders. Jinora bites back a wince at the muffled pain she feels. Thank Raava for pain medication. "Did you hear? Neeraj Vaura just won the marathon! I'm rich!"

Sure enough, the radio in the corner of the bar is blaring good news. "The struggle is nearly too much for some athletes, as exhaustion takes its toll on runners like Jun Song, but to the surprise of everyone in the arena number seventy-four Neeraj Vaura from the Fire Nation runs the classic marathon in two hours, twenty-three minutes, three and two-tenths seconds, for a new EDC record!"

Now Mitali's grinning almost as wide as Bolin. "Ha! I knew it! I knew Vaura could do it!" She grabs Jinora's hand in her excitement. "This is so great—Kai and I made a bet on that and I won! He's going to owe me ten yuans!"

As if on cue, the doors of the Officer's Club open and in walk Sergeant Kuji, Private Akuyama, Kai and Opal, fresh from Korra's office. Kuji and Akuyama immediately walk over to the poker game, both of them avid players, Opal goes to Bolin, and Kai plops down on a stool next to Jinora. "Hey," he says, looking slightly confused. "What've I missed?"

Mitali laughs, leaving Kai looking even more confused. "Hi, Cap." She sticks out her hand. "Neeraj Vaura just won the marathon. Pay up!"

Kai's jaw drops. "You're kidding." He turns to Jinora. "Jin, she's kidding, right?"

"Sorry," she says sympathetically. "I was here and I heard the whole thing. Vaura won."

Groaning, Kai reaches into his pocket and takes out two crumpled bills, depositing them in Mitali's awaiting hand. "Fine, fine. Take your money, but I swear I'll earn it all back when Nyla LiXun wins at kuai ball."

Mitali is saved from replying by Zin's arrival at the counter. "Hey guys," he says, sitting down with them. "You hear about Vaura?"

"I did indeed, and I'm ten yuans poorer because of it," Kai says. Jinora laughs at that. "You make anything?"

"Nah, I lost money to Bolin like half the camp did. Swear to Raava I have no idea where he gets such good odds. But hey, I've got money on Zaron Tsonga, so hopefully I'll at least break even by tomorrow night." He turns to Mitali, holding out his hand just as Corporal Tikka begins to play something slower and more soulful on the piano. "Do you want to dance?"

"Yes," Mitali says quickly, standing up. Then she schools her expression, straightening her shoulders. "Uh. I mean, yeah, okay. Sure."

Zin and Mitali depart and move onto the dance floor, which is currently being occupied by Bolin and Opal, Mako and Kiyi, Private Akuyama and Mai, Sergeant Kuji and Sora, and Xióng with a young corporal that Jinora doesn't know. The rest of the unit either goes back to the poker game in the corner or stands on the edge of the dance floor waiting for a partner. Jinora loses interest in watching Zin and Mitali sway together and turns back to Kai. "So, what'd you guys discuss in Korra's office?"

"Just the usual. No cheating, no foul play, less vulgarity than usual and I'm not allowed to sell my moonshine as a sports drink." Kai shrugs. "Too bad, I could've made back some money from Mitali. When this is all over, I'm going to hire her as my bookie."

"You two can go into business together. You'll make bets and she'll make all of the money."

"I'd rather work as a doctor than a full-time bookie, all things considered," Kai says after a moment of consideration. "Anyway, what've you been up to? I haven't seen you since Korra had us all together in the mess tent."

Jinora fiddles with her fingers. "I…I wrote a letter. To my parents. I told them that I wanted to break off the engagement with Akash." The name tastes sour on her tongue. Kai inhales sharply, and Jinora presses on. "I haven't sent it yet; I've just been reading it over and over again for the last hour trying to get up my nerves to go to the PX, but…" Spirits, she hopes that Kai understands. If she sends this letter, her entire life will change, and the moment she'd laid down her pen, she'd realized that there'd be no way out of this. She needs to do it, she wants to do it, and yet…

"It's okay, Jin, I get it." Relief hits her so hard that her knees shake a little. "What does the letter say? I…can I see it?"

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out the letter, unfolding it and pressing it flat on the counter. It'll be a miracle if she can stuff it into an envelope, it's so wrinkled. Kai leans forward so he can read it better.

Dear Mother and Father, it reads, I've been away from home for five months now, and I miss all of you dearly. (I hope that you've managed to convince Meelo not to enlist; coming here is really not the wonderful opportunity that it sounds like on the radio.) I know that I'd normally write about things that are going on in Uijeongbu, but this letter is slightly different and in a moment you'll see why. About three weeks ago, Akash came to visit the 6152nd. He expressed his intention to marry me then and there, which I refused due to the fact that I didn't want to get married in a war zone. That, and another reason that I'll share later. Anyways, a few days later, snipers invaded our camp and I got shot in the shoulder. Please don't worry about me, I'm just fine now. Kai (I've told you about him before) saved my life.

Getting shot changed my perspective on everything. On life. On my happiness, which I've never had the chance to consider before. I know that you set me up with Akash in order to secure your reelection, but I don't love him. Akash is not what he seems—he is abhorrent, and xenophobic, and rude, and a liar, and horrible. He has never shown me any kind of love, and it took me nearly dying to realize that I couldn't go through with the marriage. This decision took me ages to reach; it was not spur of the moment at all. I'm not being forced to write this. I'm serious. I do not want to marry him.

I must admit that this is not just because of my getting shot, although that is a significant factor. Mother, Father, I've fallen in love with someone else. Specifically, with my best friend, bunkmate, and head of surgery, Dr. Kai Wen. Kai is kind, and wonderful, and funny, and he is the best support system I could ever have. He makes me feel better about myself. He inspires me to do better, to be better, and I feel safe around him, which is more than I could ever say of Akash Chow. I know that we've only known each other for a short time, but I love him, and he loves me too.

Don't be upset. I'm sorry that this will potentially cause a scandal for our family, I really am. Just know that I did not do this out of anger or pettiness. We fell in love. It happens.

I love you, and ask you once more to undo my engagement with Akash as soon as possible.

Yours,

Jinora Gyatso

PS: I've enclosed my engagement ring in this envelope. You can do with that what you will.

She looks up from her letter just in time for Kai to cup her face in his hands and press a firm kiss to her lips. Sparks shoot up and down her spine. It isn't even their first kiss—far from it—but Spirits, her heart is flipping and jumping and dancing like it's the first time all over again. She's never loved anyone as much as she loves Kai.

He finally pulls away when the lack of oxygen turn her cheeks pink. "Send it," he says quietly. "I think it's perfect."

On their way back to the Swamp that night, she stops by the PX and mails the letter.

* * *

The following morning, a very enthusiastic-sounding Korra wakes them all up by announcing the start of the 6152nd M*A*S*H Earth Day Celebrations. They all line up with their teams, the captains all wearing little pins shaped like stars to symbolize their leadership. Korra's beaming from where she's standing on top of the little stage that she and some corpsmen had constructed overnight, and Jinora fails in stifling a snicker when a frowning Zhu Li (dressed in a toga) comes walking down from the office to light the symbolic EDC torch.

"The captains and I have decided that there will be five sets of games!" announces Korra with a huge grin. She looks seconds away from clasping her hands together and jumping up and down from joy. Zhu Li looks out of her element. Behind Jinora, Bolin and Opal are clutching their stomachs from laughter. "First up will be a race on crutches!"

Kai, Jinora, Mitali, Zin, Bolin, Mako, Sora, Opal, Mai, Xióng, and Kiyi line up on a yellow line that Korra had taped to the ground. Each of them grab a set of crutches from Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji, who are both smirking. Jinora can see why—it's not every day they see medical personnel racing on crutches for three days of R&R. Some of them look downright silly; Sora's crutches are nearly her height and Kai's are being held together by glue and duct tape. Jinora's willing to bet that some of these crutches haven't been used since the last war.

"Alright," Zhu Li says after Korra gives her the megaphone and joins them on the yellow line, crutches tucked under her armpits. "You will all be participating in a crutch race today. First person to cross the finish line wins for their team. If it ends up as a tie between two different teams, the two people who tied will compete against each other. And again, I'm obligated to remind you that there will be no cheating and no foul play. Major Iluak has, however, lifted her restrictions on vulgarity." The corners of her lips quirk upward. "That's that for the rules." She takes out a pistol and raises it up to the sky, finger twitching on the trigger. "Get ready, get steady—go!"

The moment that the gun goes off, Jinora and the others take off. Surprisingly, Mako's in the lead almost immediately, although Kiyi and Korra are right behind him. Kai's crutches snap after he trips on the ground, which causes Sora to trip over him as well. The pain in Jinora's shoulder is starting to flare up again, but she's determined to make it through. The enlisted men and women are cheering themselves hoarse on the sidelines. Korra and Mako are neck in neck, followed by Kiyi, Jinora and Zin. Mitali's in fifth. Bolin and Opal are attempting to sabotage each other's crutches, which leads to them both falling on the ground in heaps of laughter. Xióng and Mai have given up and are content with just watching.

Eventually Korra accidentally stumbles over a patch of dirt in the road, giving Mako the narrow lead that he'd needed in order to overtake her and secure the win for the team. The enlisted men and women go wild, and Bolin starts up a cheer that everyone takes up. "MAKO IS OUR KING! MAKO IS OUR KING! HE REALLY HELPED TEAM DOCTORS WIN! MAKO IS OUR KING!"

"Not bad, Mako," Korra says, shaking Mako's hand with a grin on her face. "Who knew you were so agile on crutches?"

"It was a surprise to me too," Mako admits, also smiling. Jinora doesn't think he's ever seen him this relaxed. "Nice game, Korra."

"MAKO IS OUR KING! MAKO IS OUR KING! HE REALLY HELPED TEAM DOCTORS WIN! MAKO IS OUR KING!"

Jinora makes her way over to Kai, who's laughing with Sora and Opal. "I swear," Opal is saying, "just watching your crutches snap and Sora trip over you made my entire life. You don't even have to get me a wedding present now. It was fantastic."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," says Sora. "Tripping over Kai and hitting my head is not how I envisioned spending my morning."

"Being tripped over isn't how I imagined my morning going either," Kai says. "Sorry about that, by the way." Sora waves him off and goes off to join Mai and Xióng. To Jinora, he says, "I thought you were going to win that back there. You were in the lead."

"I thought so too, but I'm glad that Mako did," Jinora replies. "He was a lot quicker than the rest of us."

Opal sighs. "Well, I heard from Zhu Li that the next event will be something that doesn't involve crutches. There'll be a victory for Team Nurses yet!"

"That's the spirit," Kai says with a wide grin.

"MAKO IS OUR KING! MAKO IS OUR KING! HE REALLY HELPED TEAM DOCTORS WIN! MAKO IS OUR KING!"

"For the love of Raava, shut up!"

* * *

Korra's Earth Day Celebrations prove to be a huge success, and Jinora can't remember the last time that she'd had this much fun. In the competition of doctors versus nurses, Team Nurses wins the next two events and Team Doctors wins one more, tying them. The PFCs and privates are currently winning three to one against the corporals and sergeants, much to the latter's dismay and shock. The people in the next town over are all placing and taking bets on their version of the EDC—according to Zhu Li and Mitali, the town's economy has really gone up as well. Korra even receives a letter from Asami saying that General Raiko and the president have commended the major on "doing her part to embody patriotism in an active war zone".

Jinora's not due to receive a letter from her parents for at least another week—she's well aware of how the postal service works now—but she's nervous. What if they refuse to void the engagement? What if they put out a restraining order against Kai? Logically, she knows that that's not likely, but her nerves are causing her to banish all rationality.

Thankfully she's got the Earth Day Celebrations to focus on until that fateful day comes.

The final day of their Earth Day Celebrations takes place five days after their first event. The actual Earth Day Celebrations ended the day prior, much to the disappointment of Bolin, who'd gotten pretty good at betting on the winners of certain events. (Jinora's hoping for an extended ceasefire, personally.) Korra had let Zhu Li decide what they would do for the final event, so it comes as no surprise that she suggests an obstacle course made from old tires and barbed wire. Honestly, sometimes Jinora thinks that it's no wonder Zhu Li and Varrick had gotten along so well—their intensity had probably brought them together.

"Here's how we'll break the tie between your teams," Korra proclaims, Zhu Li standing at her side. The PFCs and privates had lost the round but won the game and had gladly taken their R&R passes—Jinora thinks that the corporals and sergeants are handing it well, all things considered. She's happy that they've all chosen to stick around and watch the tiebreaker. "We will choose one name from each team at random and those two will run the obstacle course." She reaches into a helmet that Zhu Li's holding and pulls out a scrap of paper. "For Team Nurses, Lieutenant Opal Beifong." This announcement spurs a lot of applause from the nurses and from Bolin until an elbow to his gut makes him shut up. Korra looks rather disappointed that she hadn't picked herself. "For Team Doctors," she reaches in again, "Captain Jinora Gyatso."

Oh shit. Jinora's hands start to sweat. She's not sure if she can do this. She'd taken pain medication beforehand but what if the pain starts to flare up and that's why she loses? She'll feel so guilty if it does.

Kai pulls her aside right before the game begins. "Hey," he says, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "You'll do great."

Chaste as the kiss is, it reinvigorates her like nothing else can. Mitali shoots her a thumbs up, Zin grins at her, and Mako starts up a chant because Bolin's stuck not knowing who to root for, his team or his fiancé. Jinora and Opal line up at the starting line, both of them sporting huge grins.

"Good luck to both of you," Korra says. "And by the way, please don't ruin the tires; we do need them for the jeeps." This invokes a laugh. If there's one thing they have enough of around here, it's spare tires. "Get ready, get set—go!"

Opal takes off at a sprint with Jinora close behind her. They jump over tires, mud splattering their clothing as they do so. Jinora takes a running leap and manages to grab onto the top of the inclining wall, swinging herself over and landing with a thud while Opal tries to climb it. Now with a considerable lead, she reaches the muddy field with a cover of barbed wire over it. While she's crawling, Opal catches up to her. "Nice jump back there," she says through gasps. "That was clever."

"Thanks," Jinora manages to say before she pushes herself out of the mud and continues to run. Now all that's between her and the finish line are several sets of hurdles. Opal is on her heels and they jump over the low hurdles that Korra had set up, all seven of them, and then all that's between her and her team's prize is thirty feet and Jinora's running but then Opal trips and slams into her, causing both of them to fall over the finish line and onto the ground with a thud, dust clouding around them.

"Nobody move!" Korra yells just as both teams stampede away from the sidelines and toward Jinora and Opal. Jinora feels fine (as does her shoulder, thankfully), and judging by Opal's laughter she feels fine as well. Korra's by their side in an instant, as is Zhu Li. "Guys, back away, give them room."

Zhu Li kneels on the ground, and finally the dust settles enough for everyone to see the winner: while she and Opal had both fallen over the finish line at the same time, Jinora's arm is stretched further than Opal's, which means… "And the victory goes to Team Doctors!"

Team Doctors goes crazy with joy. Bolin hugs Mako, both of them laughing and shouting at their victory. Kai helps Jinora up and picks her up, swinging her around and around until they both have to stop, happy tears in both of their eyes. Even Team Nurses are congratulating them good-naturedly, but the real surprise for everyone is when Zin pulls a grinning Mitali close to him and kisses her full on the mouth.

Jinora claps her hands over her mouth in shock, her eyes wide. Kai's jaw drops. Bolin and Mako exchange stunned looks, as do Opal and Kiyi. Sora, Xióng and Mai aren't even giggling or pointing, which shows how surprised they are. Even Korra looks like she has no idea what to say.

Zin seems to realize what he's done and pulls away quickly from Mitali, looking absolutely horrified with himself. "Oh shit, Mitali, I'm—I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—well, I did, but…oh Raava I'm sorry I—"

"It's okay," she says quickly. Spirits, Jinora's never seen her blush this much before. "It's fine. It—it was nice. Really nice. We—we should do it again sometime?"

The corner of Zin's mouth quirks upward in a strange sort of half smile. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Zhu Li stiffens suddenly, and everyone's attention is immediately directed to her. "Choppers," she says, almost in an undertone as she points to a spot in the distance. Jinora squints and although she can't see anything, the telltale whirring of choppers are loud in the distance. So much for a possible extended ceasefire.

Korra groans. "Alright, everyone, you know the drill. Captain Lieng, Sergeant Moon, get the ambulances ready. Captain Hema, Lieutenant Beifong, Major Lieng, Lieutenant Nakahara, go prep OR. Sergeant Kuji, Private Akuyama, your teams get to help clean up the compound so the ambulances can get through. Captain Wen, Captain Gyatso, Lieutenants Tsen, Chenguanxi, and Yali—we're all going to go up to the chopper landing pad. Let's get this done."

* * *

"As the Earth Day Celebrations come to an end, the United Republic rules the sports realm with seventy-six total medals, the Earth Kingdom close behind with seventy-one medals. The EDC flame will burn again four years hence when, with Raava's help, the nations of the world will compete again on the peaceful field of sports. Here with United Republic Today, this is Yui-Sai Fong. Back to you, Chen."

"Do we have to keep the radio on in here?" Mako complains without even looking up from his patient, a young lieutenant who looks like he hasn't even graduated high school yet. Jinora thinks that they just keep getting younger and younger every day. "I feel like my sore muscles are a distraction enough."

"Kiyi can give you a massage if you'd like, Major," says Xióng with a giggle. Kiyi flushes bright red, and Mako nearly stabs his patient through the lung. Kai, who's in between patients at the moment, bursts out laughing.

"The program's over anyway, Mako." Korra doesn't look too composed herself. "Just keep doing what you're doing." With a quick glance over at Kiyi, who's still blushing furiously, he does as she says. "How many more, Zhu Li?"

"That's the last of them, Captain," she reports, much to the relief of everyone in the room. Jinora's lost track of how long they've been trapped in there—she hasn't looked at a clock in hours because the rounds of choppers prevent her from doing so—but she knows that four people have died in here today. She commits their names to memory: Staff Sergeant Li Jin, Corporal Jing Yanlin, Lieutenant Miki Kiangsi, and PFC Yuma Nervi. They've lost about twenty people during the five months she's been here, and she'd made a vow never to forget them and the sacrifices they'd made during the war.

Fifteen rather quiet minutes later, she hears Mai whisper, "No pulse," followed by Kai swearing. Jinora chances a glance at Kai's patient, a kid who looks about Rohan's age, and immediately wishes she hadn't looked. Kai's attempting to do open heart massage, but Jinora has a feeling that it won't work.

(She's proven right about two minutes later.)

Zhu Li walks over to Kai and Mai, who looks moments away from tears. "What was the name and rank of the soldier, sir?"

Kai takes the dog tags from the dish next to him, and his eyebrows shoot up. "He's a captain," he says slowly. "Named Wen. Kai Wen."

All of the breath whooshes out of Jinora's lungs. "Are you sure?"

"Written right there in black and white," Kai says, pointing to the name on the metal surface. "Captain Kai Wen, 531st Bombardiers Division."

They all look at Captain Kai Wen of the 531st Bombardiers Division, dead on the table of Captain Kai Wen of the 6152nd M*A*S*H unit. The poor kid who'd risked his life for his unit by taking three enemy bullets to the chest. War is hell, Jinora thinks with no small amount of anger. It's pure hell.

Slowly but surely, the noise in the operating room lapses back to the chorus of muttered instructions and the underlying clink of scalpels and clamps against dishes, and everything goes back to their definition of normal again.


	10. The Late Captain Wen

It's cooled down quite a bit since their own Earth Day Celebrations several weeks prior, cooled down to the point that Kai can't remember the last time he'd complained about the heat. By day it isn't too bad, but at night everyone's got full winter gear on, from earmuffs to three pairs of socks. The enlisted men and women on evening guard shift had taken to setting fires in trashcans to keep warm. When they work in the operating room at night, it's so cold that steam rises from the body and he or Jinora or Korra or even Mako will warm their hands over the open wound. It's awful as hell and yet they can't help it. It's either do the unbearable or freeze.

At least he's got Jinora. (They still haven't gotten a letter from her parents, but Kai supposes that no news is good news. He's not fond of thinking of any alternatives.) They haven't been able to spend much time with one another lately because of their alternating shifts in postop or on guard duty, but when they do—Spirits, even the mundane is amazing. The feeling of her lips on his parallels no other, and when they hold hands in the mess tent or exchange looks at each other in the OR, he feels truly warm.

His only regret is that in all this time he hasn't had a chance to write to Yung and tell him that he and Jinora are finally in a relationship. Then again, no one's had a chance to write in weeks because the president's going to be visiting Uijeongbu and there are all kinds of precaution that the MPs and the Secret Service are taking. No one in their right mind would send the New Freedom Fighters information in family-addressed envelopes, but the army doesn't give much of a damn about logic. So until the president leaves, no mail comes in and no mail comes out.

Bad news, however, still manages to sneak in through the nooks and crannies.

* * *

Kai's instantly awakened by the door in their tent opening and sending a fresh blast of cold air into the room, causing him to curl back under his blanket with a fresh wave of shivers. He doesn't have the energy to see who it is. Probably Mako from postop or something. Then again, what if it's for him? For one of his patients?

Reluctant curiosity gets the best of him, and he squints, barely able to make out what's happening. Someone's standing over Jinora's cot and whispering—no, not just someone, it's Zhu Li wrapped up in an overcoat and a thick woolen scarf. In fact he's about ninety percent sure that that's _Varrick's_ old overcoat she's wearing, but it doesn't matter. "Captain Gyatso," Zhu Li is saying, shaking Jinora's shoulder. "Captain, wake up."

Jinora muffles a curse into her pillow and props herself up on her elbows. Around them Mako and Mitali (who'd finally moved out of the VIP tent and into the Swamp) are still snoring, dead to the world. "What—Zhu Li? What's going on?"

"You've got a telephone call, Captain Gyatso."

That gets Kai's attention quickly, and by the looks of it, Jinora's as well. Everyone knows that people don't call from home unless something major is happening, someone's died, or a combination of the two. He feels his blood freeze in his veins. What if this is about Jinora's letter? Would the Gyatso family call the unit over that?

Jinora appears to be thinking the same. "Who's calling? My parents?"

"What?" Zhu Li blinks, as though the notion of Jinora's parents dialing up the 6152nd is beyond comprehension. "No, Captain, not your parents. The call's from Yu Dao, from Captain Wen's father."

"What?" Kai doesn't mean to speak so loud, but Jinora jumps and Zhu Li whirls around so quickly that she trips over her own two feet and has to grab the cot to steady herself. Apparently neither of them had known that he'd been awake the whole time. "Sorry," he apologizes, sitting up. "Just—Yung's calling Jinora?"

"That's what he said, Captain Wen," says Zhu Li with just a dash of pity sprinkled in amongst her shivers. "He said he would speak with no one but Captain Gyatso."

Rather petulantly, he crosses his arms over his chest and mutters loud enough for them to hear, "That doesn't make sense."

Zhu Li's having none of it today. "If you want me to wake you when something makes sense you'll sleep through the whole war," she says evenly, some of the cold outside seeping into her tone. All three of them stay there shivering for several seconds before the company clerk mumbles a quick apology. "Sorry, Captain. The cold's been getting to me. Captain Gyatso, are you coming?"

"Yeah, m'coming." Jinora gets out of bed and throws on her bathrobe and her jacket, along with her combat boots, before looking at him expectantly. Zhu Li's already moved to the door and is waiting impatiently. "Kai, it's your dad on the line. You're coming, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it," he answers with a quicksilver grin, and he throws the covers off himself. Thank Raava she's asked him to come: he hadn't wanted to overstep his bounds, even if it is Yung on the phone. While he's getting dressed—and sweet Raava it is so damn cold, why the hell is it so cold in the beginning of _autumn?_ —he says, "I wonder why he's calling. I haven't had a chance to write him in ages."

"Maybe that's why," she suggests, shivering where she stands. He's got no idea how Mako and Mitali are still asleep in this weather. "Maybe he just got worried about you and called."

Kai's not so sure. Yung wouldn't call unless something was really wrong—and if he _did_ call, he'd call Kai, not Jinora. What in the world in going on back in Yu Dao that his father's calling a woman he's never even met before?

He stands up, completely dressed, and follows Zhu Li and Jinora out of the tent and across camp. Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji are holding rifles and shivering next to a fiery trash can. The nurses' tent still has its lights on—most likely someone's just returned from postop duty and needs a little warmth from the stove. Korra's doing paperwork in her office and doesn't come out to greet them when they finally get to Zhu Li's adjoined office. The company clerk plops down on one of the chairs, puts on a pair of headphones under her earmuffs and starts fiddling with some dials. "Hello? This is Sergeant Zhu Li Moon from sixty-one fifty-two—oh, okay. Yes sir." She covers the receiver and turns back to them. "Yung Wen is on the line."

Jinora takes the phone from Zhu Li cautiously, like she's afraid it'll bite her if she holds it long enough, and presses it to her ear. "Hello? This is Jinora—hello? I'm sorry, I just—hello? Hello?" She pulls the phone away from her ear and stares at it, brows furrowing in a mix of consternation and concern. "I lost the connection."

Zhu Li starts fiddling with the dials again and tries to connect with someone named Sparky, who Kai's never seen but apparently is one of Zhu Li's best connections in the military. He bites the inside of his cheek and looks over at Jinora, gut clenching in worry. "Did he say anything? Is he okay?"

"He didn't get a chance to say much before the connection fizzled," she answers, looking lost in thought. "He just kept repeating how and why over and over again."

That doesn't make him feel any better. "How and why? That's all he said? Are you sure that's all he said?" The concern welling up in his gut starts to harden and curl up until it's almost physically painful. What in the world is going on back home? Surely the war hasn't advanced that far north—but no, then Yung would've been calling from a refugee shelter instead of Yu Dao. Spirits, he hopes that Yung is alright. "Zhu Li, we need to get him back on the phone."

"I know, Captain, but I can't," she says apologetically, finally looking up from her dials. "The New Freedom Fighters or the storm must have knocked out the lines. Nothing's getting through right now. I'm sorry." Kai curses under his breath. Damn it. It's not Zhu Li's fault of course but he still feels pissed off. "Captain Gyatso, you and Captain Wen should go back to the Swamp. I'll walk over if there's any more phone calls."

He almost takes her up on the offer at the thought of his own warm bed and sleeping, but he shakes his head at the last moment. "I couldn't sleep now," he says truthfully. "I'll stay here just in case the phone rings."

Zhu Li shrugs, as if to say that it didn't matter to her, and goes off to Korra's office—most likely to talk to Korra about Yung's phone call. Jinora stays, putting her jacket back on while Kai plops down in the chair that Zhu Li had just vacated, staring at the phone like it'll ring if he wills it hard enough. "Do you want me to stick around?" she asks, eyes flickering from him to the desk. "I don't have a shift for another few hours."

Kai almost smiles. "Nah, Jin, go back to sleep. I'll see you in the morning." He pauses, remembering that it's definitely past midnight by now. "Well, later in the morning at any rate," he amends.

She leans down and presses a kiss to his cheek, which he gives back in turn. "Well, in that case," she says, "I'll see you later." And with that, she folds her jacket closer around her and walks out of the office, closing the door quickly behind her so the cold air from outside won't turn everything inside to ice.

The phone doesn't ring, vibrate or move for the rest of the night, and at seven in the morning Kai leaves for his shift in postop, none the wiser about the situation. He runs smack-dab into someone as he's leaving Zhu Li's office, causing the man to drop the cup of coffee he's holding all over the frost-stained grass. The guy's short, with a chubby sort of face. He looks numb to all of the horrors that war has to offer—they've got that in common, after all. "Sorry about that, uh…"

"Saja. Lieutenant Jeoseung Saja, Quartermaster Corps."

Kai swears that the entire world has gone crazy overnight. What the hell are the Quartermaster Corps doing here? They only come by once a month to collect the bodies or deliver food, and they've already sent a representative this month. "Sorry about that, Lieutenant," he says in an effort to stem the flow of questions welling up inside of him. "You can pick up coffee in the mess tent, but I doubt it'll be better than what you got."

"Duly noted," says Lieutenant Saja with a serious nod. "Oh. Don't suppose you can help me. I'm here to pick up a body, any chance you know who I'm supposed to see?"

"Yeah, I do." Kai gestures aimlessly to Zhu Li's office. "I believe that Sergeant Moon can assist you in this undertaking," he says with a quick grin. Saja rolls his eyes and heads inside. _Some people just don't appreciate puns these days_ , he thinks, walking around the building toward the postop entrance.

By the front entrance Sergeant Kuji's smoking down on what's got to be his fifth cigarette of the day while talking to a giggling Xióng and Sora. Mitali and Zin are exiting postop to go and get breakfast in the mess tent. Mako and Kiyi are sharing a thermos of tea inside, and Mai, Jinora and Opal are already making their rounds without him. Kai and Opal take the left side of the room and Jinora and Mai take the other end.

"Jinora told me," Opal says under her breath while Kai inspects Corporal Pava, who'd come in with a leg wound but would be leaving later today right as rain. "About the phone call, I mean. Did you figure out why?"

Kai shakes his head as they continue down the line of cots. "No, nothing. Zhu Li says nothing's getting through because of the storm. Can't exactly write a letter on account of the president being here either."

"Chin up," Opal says with a sympathetic frown and a pat on the shoulder. "I'm sure nothing bad is going on back in Yu Dao. Yung'll call eventually, right?" She pauses. "Remember when…when Varrick got all freaked out when his councilman stopped calling him for votes?"

Kai laughs, because he does. "Yeah, and then Zhu Li had to tell him that it was because he'd already won the election. Good times." It's hurting less and less to talk about Varrick with every passing day—maybe by the end of the war they'll be able to bring him up without stopping and wincing midsentence. They've all taken Zhu Li as inspiration, because if she can bring up Varrick in conversation then by Raava so can they. "Good morning, Private Yang," he greets, plopping down on an empty chair beside the young girl. "I hear you got yourself some interesting battle scars."

Yang grins, showing off some scarring on her shoulder. She'd run straight into a firefight to save her lieutenant, an act of valor that would surely earn her an Indigo Crux. Unfortunately she'd come out of it with a bullet to the shoulder and second degree burns down her legs. "It'll attract the guys, that's for sure."

"They'll come flying in, don't worry," Kai reassures her with a grin. "Did you take your meds last night?" Yang nods. "Okay, great." He checks his clipboard. "I'll be back in a second," he says to Opal, "I need to go and get more lidocaine for her legs. Did you guys bring some here when you were unloading the supplies?"

"We did, but we ran out last night," Opal answers after a moment of contemplation. "We've got some boxes in inventory right now."

Kai files away that information, nods at Yang and Opal, and hops off along to the inventory tent. Luckily, as the tent's only a short distance away from postop, he doesn't have to bundle up too much, and once he arrives he immediately starts looking for the boxes of burn ointment. Instead of lidocaine he finds Jinora, who's rummaging through a crate of bandages. "Hey," he says casually, like they've just run into each other at the supermarket. "Who's your patient?"

"Sergeant Daichi, from the 221st."

He moves closer to her, so close that he can count every one of her eyelashes. So close that the acrid smell of the surplus bandages burns his nostrils. So close that he can hear her breath catch in her lungs, and he's not ashamed to admit that he's getting short of breath around her as well. "Does Daichi need the bandages now?"

"He can wait," she whispers, and then her hands are on his face and he presses his lips to hers, relishing the taste of her mint-flavored lip gloss and building warmth between them as they move together. Spirits, it feels like ages since they've done this, since they've been this close, and he moves even closer, only pausing for air and to suck along the thin skin where her pulse beats in her throat. She moans his name when she gets a chance to breathe and Raava Almighty, he thinks it's one of the sexiest things he's ever heard. With a growl, he moves to unbutton her shirt so her shoulders can be open, but before he can do so, someone says his name from behind.

Jinora yelps and Kai whirls around to see that lieutenant he'd helped earlier, what's-his-name, _Saja_ , standing in the middle of the tent looking rather put out. "Sorry to interrupt, sir, ma'am," he says, looking quite the opposite. In fact, he looks rather sad that they'd stopped kissing at all. "I'm looking for Captain Kai Wen. I was told by a Lieutenant Beifong he was in here."

Spirits, he hates Opal. She was probably inside having a laugh right now. "Present and accounted for," Kai says with a sigh. "How can I help you?"

Saja looks taken aback now and even takes a literal step back to prove it. Now he's staring at Kai like he's a ghost. "You can't be Captain Wen."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I am him," he answers. "Captain Kai Wen, assigned to the 6152nd M*A*S*H unit. My serial number's oh-three-two-oh-two-two-one-four. Are you sure you've got the right guy, Lieutenant Saja?"

"Something's wrong," Saja mutters to himself, looking down at the clipboard he's holding and then back to Kai. After a moment, he finally says, "You're not dead." It's phrased as more of a question than a statement.

"Don't jump to conclusions," Kai automatically returns, starting to get a little uneasy. Why in the world is Saja acting like this? Is this a prank? Did Mako or Korra put him up to this? Next to him, Jinora takes his hand—it relaxes him slightly. "I have an excellent tailor."

Saja shakes his head. "You're supposed to be dead, sir. Honest, take a look." He hands Kai the clipboard carefully, like it'll explode if not handled properly.

"Wen, Kai. Captain. Oh-three-two-oh-two-two-one-four." His blood turns to ice and the few moments of warmth he'd just experienced with Jinora disappear like a candle in the wind. When Jinora gets a glimpse of the paper, she barely manages to conceal her gasp. His knees start to shake, and somehow he still manages to say calmly, "This is a death certificate, Lieutenant Saja."

"Just a copy, sir," Saja says, like that's supposed to be reassuring or something. It does the exact opposite for his nerves. "The army's already sent the original back to the next of kin."

"And the next of kin would've been notified by now via telegram," Jinora says slowly. Clearly she's put the pieces together. "Kai—"

Kai's hands are sweaty, and his heart flips at the thought. "No wonder he didn't ask for me last night," he says, voice shaking. "Yung thinks I'm dead."

"So does the army, sir," Saja comments rather unhelpfully. It's like he's completely tuned out to the mess of emotions swirling in Kai's head. "If you're alive, I'm in big trouble."

" _You're_ in trouble?" He's about two seconds away from wrapping his hands around Saja's throat and squeezing tight, but Jinora's presence and the remaining ounce of logic he has stop him from doing so. The last thing he needs right now is to get locked up for murder. "I need to go see Korra," he finally says, fists unclenching. Yes, that's it. Korra will be able to fix this. "If you'll excuse me, Lieutenant."

* * *

When he does find Korra, she's in the middle of a phone call. Zhu Li had warned him not to go inside, saying that Korra will kill him if he interrupts her, but he enters anyway—silently, of course. He may be legally dead but he's not crazy enough to make the situation permanent. Mako's sitting straight up in a chair in front of Korra's desk, and when Kai makes his way around the room he can see that Mako looks worried. He tunes into the conversation long enough to hear Korra say, "Please keep me posted," into the receiver before hanging up.

"Any news?" Mako asks.

"Nothing," Korra says, plopping down onto her chair. She traces the rim of her glass of whiskey with her index finger and picks it up, scrutinizing it in the light and then setting it back down. "The army's great about a lot of things but it is shit when it comes to finding people."

"I'm sure she's just busy, Korra," Mako assures her, standing up and moving around the desk to put a hand on her shoulder. "It'll all be alright."

Kai clears his throat, ruining the moment between them. Korra startles like she hadn't even noticed he'd come in. "You lose someone, Major?" he asks, not unkindly. He's got a sneaking suspicion who Korra is worried about but decides to clarify first. "Is it Lieutenant Sato?"

Korra gives him a short nod. "She hasn't responded to any of my letters since the end of the Earth Day Celebrations. I—I got worried, so I called up I-Corps to see if maybe they'd stopped my letters but they didn't. Then I called up military intelligence but there's been no word of the 4077th for weeks." She bites her lip and looks down at her glass, as if it holds the answers to the universe.

Mako is the first to break the silence. "How come you're here, Kai? Don't you have postop duty this morning?"

"I did have postop duty, yeah," Kai says. He hears the door open behind him and figures that Jinora has come to back up his story. "Then some guy from the QC comes over and finds me so he can give me a death certificate." He swallows. "My death certificate."

This gives even Korra pause. "What do you mean he gave you your death certificate?"

"Exactly that—he gave me my damn _death certificate_ , Korra. According to the army, I'm dead as a doornail. Raava only knows why in the world the army thinks so but—"

"Well," says Saja, and it literally takes every ounce of willpower Kai has to not jump out of his skin at the lieutenant's deadpan voice. Spirits Almighty, how did the guy manage to sneak up on him like that? Is he related to Zhu Li or something? "The Quartermaster Corps received word that Captain Kai Wen had been declared dead at this mobile army surgical hospital unit."

Kai whirls around to face Saja, mouth open to yell at the man and ask exactly what the fuck he's talking about, but Jinora's there too and the words leave her mouth mere seconds before the words leave his. "Lieutenant Saja, I believe that we would have remembered if we declared Kai dead," Jinora says, eyes flashing with barely suppressed anger. "We don't make mistakes like this."

"Wait." Kai suddenly feels cold all over. "Wait. I—do you remember right after the Earth Day Celebrations, when we had that sudden rush of wounded?" He swallows the bile rising in his throat. "That other Kai Wen, he died on my operating table. He—he was a captain too. Do you think—?"

"Lieutenant Saja," Korra says. Her voice is casual but anyone could discern the danger behind it. She rises from her chair and strolls over to Saja, who is nearly shaking in his army-issued boots. "Do you seriously mean to tell me that the Quartermaster Corps declared my head surgeon deceased because you confused him with the wrong person?"

Saja gulps. He's probably thinking of who's going to be delivering the eulogy at his funeral right about now. "Uh, yes. Yes, ma'am. It happens more often than you'd think—we're so inundated with casualties and discharge paperwork that it's very possible for the Quartermaster Corps to have confused Captain Wen's serial number with that of the late Captain Wen."

"The fact that the army has let the Quartermaster Corps get away with this for so long is not what we are discussing today, Lieutenant," Korra snaps, and Kai can actually see her transforming from the light, easygoing Korra to the stern Major Iluak right before his eyes. "I would like to know exactly what you are going to do in order to rectify this situation."

"Major Iluak, ma'am, unfortunately the Quartermaster Corps cannot do anything now. You're going to have to…" Saja pauses. Kai can't believe that he's actually still holding his ground. What a patriot. "Uh, I can't exactly say, ma'am. To start, you would have to get in touch with the nearest headquarters—I believe that would be Ba Sing Se for you, correct?"

Korra nods. A slab of metal would be more inviting than her expression right now. "That would be correct, Lieutenant Saja."

"They would have to send down a ranking officer to come and rectify the situation and give you the necessary paperwork. Then you would be able to reverse Captain Wen's status, ma'am." When Korra's eyes finally move off Saja, the lieutenant lets out a tiny sigh of relief. Kai nearly feels bad for him—anyone who withstands an argument with Korra when she's pissed deserves an Indigo Crux and a town named after them. "Is—is that all the information you need, Major?"

"I believe so, yes." Korra steps away from Saja's quivering body and cups her hands over her mouth. "Zhu Li—"

The sergeant's there before Korra's even finished saying her name. Kai won't say it aloud, but he's about ninety percent sure that Zhu Li knows how to teleport. That's the only possible way for her to keep on appearing a heartbeat after being called. "I'll get on the phone with Ba Sing Se HQ, Major Iluak."

"Get on the phone with—why the hell do I even bother, you know what to do." Korra waves her off. Zhu Li flashes her a quicksilver smile. "Anyway, get me General Osina once he's done with his daily poker game. I want to see someone from the QC as soon as possible." Zhu Li shoots Korra a snappy salute and vanishes as quickly as she'd appeared. Lieutenant Saja stares at where she'd just been standing, looking rather dumbstruck. "Lieutenant Saja, you're welcome to stay here as long as you'd like."

It's an order disguised as a friendly request, and while Saja's an idiot, he's no fool, so he accepts it graciously. "Thank you, Major."

"Don't thank me until you can reverse Captain Wen's status," Korra says evenly. "Kai, Jinora, you'd better get back to postop. I have a feeling some of your patients can't wait any longer." Kai flushes, remembering Private Yang's lidocaine. Hopefully Opal's gone to get some by now. "Mako, can you take Lieutenant Saja to the VIP tent?"

Mako frowns, coming over to place a consoling hand on her shoulder. "You sure you don't need company? I don't mind staying."

Korra smiles at him. Kai feels slightly relieved that it's genuine. "Nah, it's fine. You go ahead. I'll try to call I-Corps again in a couple of hours." By that, Kai knows that she means she'll call the very second Zhu Li gets off the phone with General Osina. "But thank you." Mako nods, squeezes her shoulder once and then leaves with a clearly relieved lieutenant on his heels. "Kai, Jinora, go on. And Kai, I'll call you back in when we get some concrete information, okay?"

Kai salutes her and, with the thought of his patients once more on his mind, he leaves.

* * *

"Scalpel," he says to Kiyi, who passes it over to him without a word. In the name of Almighty Raava, he swears that the temperature's just getting colder and colder with each passing hour. His spit is starting to freeze before it can hit the ground, and Kiyi's probably managed to contract a mild case of frostbite by now. She keeps on shivering and she's nearly dropped her scalpel five times by now because her hands are numb and raw. Poor girl. "How're we looking?"

"I think it's a-alright, Doctor," she says. "Might wanna open it up a little wider though." He blinks and looks closer for a second before doing as she'd requested. Their latest influx of wounded is small for once, and the most strenuous thing they've got is an appendectomy. Jinora and Zin are working with a pulmonary laceration, Korra and Sora have got a ruptured spleen, Mako and Xióng have got a broken femur to set and fix up, and Mitali and Opal have got their third bowel replacement this week. Bolin and Mai are stuck as anesthesiologists this time around—he's on for that next time. Lovely system they have. "Doctor?"

He snaps back to reality. "Uh, right." Ever so carefully, he begins the open procedure—he's always preferred that to a laparoscopic one, even back in residency. He removes the appendix without letting any of the fluids to escape back into the abdominal cavity, which would be a one-way ticket to infection. "Purse string suture."

"Yes, Doctor." Kiyi passes him one and visibly flinches once it leaves her hands. Apparently this time it's not from the cold. "Captain, why is Lieutenant Saja looking at us through the window?"

Kai glances back toward where Kiyi's looking and sure enough, there's Lieutenant Saja staring through the window at their operating table. "He marked me dead so he needs a replacement body, Kiyi," he says, unable to keep a note of irritation out of his voice. "Until he finds one, he's trolling for a cadaver." Jinora's the only one who laughs at his joke, but he thinks that she just feels bad for him. "I'm finished here. Sergeant Kuji?"

"Already here, sir," says the sergeant, appearing almost out of nowhere with Corporal Tikka to remove the soldier from Kai's table. No more soldiers appear to replace the last one, and Kai's relief is visible to all. Literally—he'd sighed and the temperature in the room had created a cloud of cold mist around his mouth.

"Sorry, Lieutenant," Kai says once he enters the room adjacent to the OR, his surgical mask hanging limply around his neck. Korra and Sora are the only ones still working right now. Jinora and Opal are washing their hands, and Zin and Kiyi share a swig of coffee from the thermos being passed around by the nurses. Mitali and Xióng are whispering with each other about something or another, but judging by Mitali's red face Xióng's probably asked her about Zin. Saja looks up. "Sorry to inform you, but my guy made it."

Saja sighs, like the fate of the world rests personally on his shoulders. "I'm sure you did your best," he says, clapping Kai on the shoulder before walking out of the scrubbing room, drawing his jacket tighter around him as he leaves the hospital and goes out into the cold.

Kai snorts and starts to remove his scrubs. He sticks his hands under the faucet, wincing from the sudden rush of heat against his numb hands. Mako and Kiyi leave together, talking about getting a quick cup of coffee from the mess tent. Jinora approaches him, Opal currently engaged in conversation with Bolin. "Hey," she says with a small smile. Her presence warms him up a little. "You know what we ought to do?"

"You know better than me," he says, somewhat curious. Does this have to do with his situation regarding Yung? Then again, it most likely is. It's all that either of them have been able to talk about for the last few days. "What's your plan?"

"If you're dead, we have to have a wake," she says. Beneath the joking tone he hears apprehension, like she's worried that she's pushing it too far. "What kind of a…" She hesitates, unsure of what label to put on their relationship as well. "What kind of a girlfriend would I be to let you pass away without a party?"

"That's sick," Xióng says, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Sora and Mai, who had just entered the scrubbing room with Korra on their heels, nod along with identical looks on their faces. Sometimes Kai thinks how lucky they are to have each other—Xióng and Mai and Sora have been friends for so long that they're all perfectly in sync with each other. "Why would you want the reminder of death if you're still alive?"

"Nah, it's okay," Kai assures Xióng. "Actually, I like the idea. I think I would've wanted it that way."

"Great," Jinora says with a cheeky grin that Kai kind of wants to kiss right off her lips and he would if the others weren't watching. He's not big on large shows of PDA—unlike Bolin and Opal, who don't have a problem being affectionate in public at all. "Then as soon as I get off duty, I'll take care of it all."

"I'll split the cost—"

She waves his protests off, probably knowing exactly how much a wake costs and having no problem with that. "No, this wake's on me." She shrugs. "It's not like I've got anything to really spend money on." That's true. All she really does spend her money on is the occasional drink and poker game. Sometimes on clothes from town. He supposes that there's enough in her repository to plan and pay for his wake.

Before he can quip about what to wear to a wake, Zhu Li comes tearing into the scrubbing room like she's run all the way from the opposite end of camp, nearly knocking down Mitali. "Captain Wen," she says with a quick nod at everyone. "Sorry, Captain Hema." Mitali waves her off good-naturedly. "Anyways, Captain Wen, I just had an idea of how you can get a message through to your father."

Four thousand volts couldn't have shocked him more than that sentence. He clutches Zhu Li's hands in his, unsure of how he had moved so quickly. "How? How? What do I have to do?"

"I thought that since you aren't able to get through long distance because of the weather, you could send your father a telegram through another unit. It'd take a little longer but since the 8045th's mail isn't getting held up, they could reach your father faster than the army."

Hope expands in the bottom of his stomach and he swallows the lump in his throat. "If you can do that, Zhu Li, I'll pay your medical bills for the rest of your life."

Zhu Li nods solemnly, pulling out a pad of paper and a stub of a pencil out of her coat pocket as she does so. "No need to thank me yet, Captain, let's see if it works first," she says, pencil poised to write. "You dictate, I'll write."

He chokes up a little from the pressure. There's so much he wants to say, so many ways that he wants to reassure Yung that he's fine and well and still alive and kicking. The thing is, after a scare like this he's not sure if it'll even be enough for Yung. Clearing his throat, he finally says, "Dear Yung." The words are like lidocaine against a third-degree burn. "I'm not dead. Stop. Army fucked up. Stop." His lips twist into a smile as he adds, "Thinking of spending my life insurance money? Stop." Jinora laughs and Mitali rolls her eyes. "Will call ASAP. Please don't worry." His throat tightens again. "Still kicking, your son, Kai."

"Great," Zhu Li says with a sympathetic look Kai's way. Not pitying, thank Raava. Just sympathetic. "I'll get this out as soon as I can." And with that, she leaves as quickly as she'd entered: like a leaf on the wind, always blowing, never settling in one place for too long.

"I hate to think of what my dad's going through," Kai admits to Jinora once they both leave the scrubbing room to go to their postop shift. "I mean, I've done my fair share of shit when I was growing up but he's never had to deal with something like this."

"It'll work out," Jinora says firmly. "Zhu Li will get through with the message one way or another." She takes his hand in hers and squeezes it tight, a smile on her chapped lips against the biting wind outside. "There's one interesting thing that came out of this."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"You're going to be the first man alive to attend his own funeral."

* * *

Kai isn't sure just how Jinora had gotten a funeral thrown together so quickly, but he's not complaining. In fact, she'd done a pretty good job and when he actually does die, he kind of wants her to plan his real funeral. (Hopefully that won't happen for another several decades, though.) They've all settled in the mess tent, and it's actually warm thanks to the body heat of all of the personnel who'd showed up. Corporal Tikka and Private Akuyama had moved several stoves inside to make the tent even warmer, and there's good beer and snacks that don't taste like roasted Styrofoam. Everyone's hanging out and having a good time for the first time in a while.

"I'm sure going to miss you, Kai," says Mai with a smirk, passing by with Sora to get another beer. Kai hopes that the two of them won't do anything stupid like they had at the New Year's party last year.

"It's a nice party," Kai comments to Jinora once they've found a semi-quiet corner. Bolin, Opal, Mako and Kiyi are sitting around in the corner telling stories of Kai's time here back when Skoochy and Varrick and the others had all been around, and he doesn't particularly want Jinora to hear some of his old antics. "I only wish I was here to see it."

Jinora hits him on the arm playfully. "You're a real comedian, Captain," she says, rolling her eyes. She hoists her beer higher and clinks her can against his. "Cheers, Kai."

Kai grins, leaning closer to her. "You know, I think I forgot to put this in my will, but I'm donating my nose to the grindstone, my shoulder to the wheel, and my ear to the ground—but I only have eyes for you." It's a shitty pick-up line—one that had once gotten Skoochy thrown out of a Gaoling whorehouse—but the kiss he receives in return lets him know that she's not opposed to it.

Jinora goes to get another beer, and Kai turns around to see Korra taking a seat next to Lieutenant Saja, who's sitting and warming his hands up next to the stove. "Having a rough time there, Lieutenant?"

Saja groans. "Don't ask, Major," he says in a tone that invites her to ask about his problems anyway. Kai had gotten wind of the lieutenant's situation earlier that day—apparently he'll be in huge trouble with the Quartermaster Corps if he doesn't bring back a corpse. Saja's worried he'll be transferred out of morgue detail and be given a worse job. Kai doesn't quite know what could be worse than delivering dead bodies, but to each his own.

Korra pats him on the shoulder. "It'll work out as soon as you bring good news about changing Captain Wen's status." There's a pause. "And possible news about the status of Lieutenant Sato."

Saja furrows his brows. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but who's Lieutenant Sato?"

"It doesn't matter," Korra quickly says, looking away as she stands up. "I—never mind." Before she can say anything incriminating—and it very well could be, as an admission of homosexuality will earn her a dishonorable discharge from the army, which is why she's always kept her relationship with Lieutenant Sato under wraps—she leaves. Saja looks like he doesn't understand what just happened, which is probably for the best. Kai doesn't have the heart to tell him that his jacket's very close to being set on fire.

Just as Jinora comes back over to him with her beer, Zhu Li appears practically out of nowhere, shivering under two jackets and a pair of fluffy earmuffs that used to belong to Varrick. "Captain Wen," she says, "I just got off the phone with the company clerk from the 8045th, and there aren't any telegrams going out from there either. No phone, no mail, no nothing."

Kai bypasses disappointment and goes straight to pissed off. "Zhu Li, I've got to get through to my dad!"

"You think I don't know that, Captain?" She just looks tired now, too tired to be dealing with everyone's problems. He feels bad for her. "There's new security measures being taken because the president's coming over, remember?" He does remember, but it doesn't make him feel any better. "The Secret Service, the military police—nothing can come in and nothing can come out. Corporal Ming from the eastern Ba Sing Se M*A*S*H unit told me that they've locked up a whole bunch of locals."

"What the hell for? Cheering lessons?" Kai's anger is swelling like a balloon, and he'll explode completely if he isn't careful. With effort, he brings his anger down again to a manageable level. "Look, I'm sorry. Just—please keep trying for my dad. Try any way you can. If it comes down to money I'll even pay for it. Just please try."

"I will, Captain, I promise," Zhu Li says firmly. He's not skeptical enough to doubt her word: everyone in the 6152nd knows that Zhu Li always keeps her promises no matter how impossible they are. The fact that she's never broken a deal in all the time that he's ever known her—and even before that—is more dependable than some religions, and Kai knows that she'll do her part to keep this one.

"Thank you," he finally says, because it's all he can say. Zhu Li scurries off again, most likely to go off and try to haggle with the army again.

Jinora places a hand on his shoulder, but he shakes her hand off. He doesn't need her pity now. He needs his father.

* * *

The next day brings even more bad news. The mail arrives fresh from Gaoling as the president's finally moved on to other parts of the warring Earth Kingdom, but Kai's mail has been held up because of his status. Jinora had tried to hide her letters from home to make him feel better, but it hadn't done anything to improve his already bad mood. Today's payday—an event that always makes him feel better about the war—but just from the way that the men from Ba Sing Se HQ are acting doesn't make him feel any better.

He lets Jinora go ahead of him, just to see what will happen, and she stops in front of their table in the mess tent with a salute. "Gyatso, Jinora. Captain. Serial number zero-one-one-zero-one-two-one-two."

"Right, right," says the colonel at the head of the table rather dismissively. If Kai squints he can make out the man's name—Ping—embroidered in red just over his heart but under his service medals. What service medals can the man possibly earn while passing out money? An Indigo Crux for a paper cut in the line of duty? "Sign here, please." He flourishes the pay sheet at her, which she signs quickly. After exchanging the paper for a check that he knows contains six thousand and sixty-three yuans, she moves to the side. "Next!"

Kai steps up, nerves making his stomach churn. He doesn't think he can handle any more bad news today. "Wen, Kai. Captain. Serial number zero-three-two-zero-two-two-one-four."

Colonel Ping exchanges a glance with the others sitting near him (a captain and a major, each wearing identical monotone expressions) before glancing down at the pay sheet. "Sorry, fella," he says, sounding like he doesn't care in the slightest. "You've been redlined."

Kai feels like he's been punched in the throat. "Excuse me?"

"You're marked deceased, Captain Wen," says the colonel with a smirk. Clearly he finds this funny. Jinora and Opal and Mitali and the others are all watching this exchange go on with horrified expressions. He's glad that at least someone finds this as wrong as he does. "If you're dead that means that you're off the payroll. Next!"

"Now you hold on just one second, _fella_ ," Kai says hotly, temper rising for the second time in forty-eight hours. If this keeps up he's going to explode. "I need my paycheck. It's not like I can work someplace else—there's not another army across the street looking for a surgeon."

"Dead men tell no tales," says Colonel Ping rather nonchalantly. Kai is very close to punching the man in the face. "They also get no money. Move out of the way, Captain Wen, and that's an order."

Something inside of him _snaps_ , and he smashes his hands down on the table and leans forward. "Look here, Colonel," he says dangerously, so close to the colonel that he can smell his breath, "I have had a long couple of days. I'm tired of death, I'm tired _to_ death, and you can clearly see that I'm not deceased, so how about you give me the fucking money that I rightfully deserve and I won't rip your spleen out through your throat."

"Are you threatening me, Captain?" snaps Ping, holding his ground remarkably well. "I could get the army to court-martial you for that!"

Kai's grin is wolfish, rather frightening, and he can't bring himself to care about anything anymore. In the end, he's already dead, so why does it matter? He grabs the collar of the colonel's uniform. "They couldn't court-martial a dead man for breaking every smirk in your face."

"Captain Wen!" Startled, he releases the colonel's collar and turns around to see Korra wearing her best stern-Major-Iluak expression with Zhu Li and Jinora at her side. "Captain, release Colonel Ping this instant. Colonel, by the order of I-Corps, you're required to give all those present their checks—and as you can clearly see that Captain Wen's not in the big hospital in the sky, you ought to give him his check as well." Grumbling, Colonel Ping thrusts the check at Kai, and Kai signs the pay sheet with a flourish. "Captain Wen, my office. _Now_."

* * *

Once they're just outside Korra's office, Korra grabs Kai by the shoulders and gives him a shake. Zhu Li and Jinora, who'd most likely run to tell Korra of what had been happening while he'd been arguing with the colonel, stay silent. "Have you lost your goddamn mind?" she snaps, barely able to keep her voice down. "Do you realize what the fuck you've done, Kai? You can't just pick fights with army officers—"

"Why? I'm dead no matter what." Jinora looks down and away from him. Somehow that just makes things worse. "Why does it matter what I do?"

"Because you are a captain of the United Forces," Korra says through gritted teeth. "And above that, you are a doctor, and you had better damn well act like one otherwise they can suspend your license in the blink of a fucking eye. So behave yourself." She sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Jinora, Zhu Li, wait here. Kai, follow me inside." He does as his friend asks and follows her into her office, where an average-looking gentleman with a major's insignia is waiting for them. "Zhu Li was finally able to reach HQ, and the Quartermaster Corps sent us Major Kang to rectify your situation."

To be honest, he's sort of forgotten that his situation can be rectified at all. He nods at the major politely. "Sir."

"Captain Wen," says Major Kang, "we've been giving your matter a look, and uh," he looks down at the clipboard he's holding in his hands, "excuse me please—ah, yes. What's clearly happened is that some clerk down at HQ must've switched your name with that of a deceased patient on a death certificate." He chuckles. "Happens all the time."

Korra speaks before Kai can open his mouth, obviously afraid of what he'll say. "And has the real dead man's family been notified, sir?"

That takes the major aback a little. "Um. They will be, Major Iluak." Korra nods, clearly not satisfied, and gestures for him to continue. Kai bites his tongue so hard that he can taste blood. "In your case, Captain Wen, you'll have to submit to the Quartermaster Corps a request to rescind the certificate of death on form…ten-stroke-249 in triplicate. That'll be accompanied by an SF-88-stroke-11-07, signed by three officers of equal or higher rank followed by a personal written report of no less than five hundred words on form 63-stroke-EBY by a ranking officer who actually saw the deceased not die…" He seems to realize how stupid that sounds and swallows, quickly moving on. "Uh, that's in triplicate too."

"What does this come down to in a nutshell?" Kai asks, unable to take this any longer. He feels numb, like he's watching this happen in a mover. He can't bring himself to give a shit about anything. He just wants this fixed as quickly as possible. "Sir?"

Major Kang sighs. "Well, Captain, I'm sorry to say that that _is_ in a nutshell."

"Are you serious?" Korra says disbelievingly. Clearly she's also regretting having the actual answer to Kai's problems. "It'll take me months to actually requisition all of those forms. He could be dead by the time you make him alive again!"

"I don't know any other way around it," Major Kang says, actually sounding sad. "I'm very sorry, Captain, but until you fill out those forms, the army has no choice to see you as anything other than deceased. As an un-person, if you will."

This time when Kai loses his temper, it doesn't come with anger, it just comes with crushing sadness. With a crushing feeling of despair. Like he's being choked with his own grief. "My father," he says, "is unaware that I'm alive. I've been trying to get through to him but no one has let me on account of the president and the fact that I'm considered an 'un-person'. At this very minute, Major, my father is mourning his 'un-son' and is probably aging a couple years for every day he wakes up and remembers that I've shaken off my mortal coil." A lump forms in his throat. "Excuse me, Majors," he says as politely as he can manage, "but I can't take this any longer."

He pushes past a stunned Korra and an equally-stunned Kang, past Jinora and Zhu Li, and walks out of the building. Hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket, he makes his way over to a bus waiting by post-op. Saja's sitting in the front seat, hand on the ignition, and when he sees Kai in front of the bus, he pulls down the lever and opens the door. "Captain? What're you doing here?"

"I want out," Kai says, climbing the steps onto the bus. It's warm in here, at least. Every cot on the bus is occupied by a corpse. _The more the merrier._ "The final destination, please, and step on it." He takes a seat on one of the empty cots, feeling emptier than the men and women who usually occupy them. He closes his eyes. "Go on, Saja."

The bus doesn't start moving, but he hears the _whoosh-crush_ and the rush of cold air followed by an opening door. There's a whisper, some footsteps, and he feels someone staring at him. "Kai," someone says, and when he opens his eyes he isn't surprised to see Jinora standing there. "Kai, you can't do this."

"I don't have a choice, Jin," he says. "The army says I'm dead, ergo I'm dead." He sighs. "If you're ever in Yu Dao, look me up. I'll be under a tombstone marked Wen."

"Kai." She doesn't sound like she's admonishing him. She just sounds scared. He doesn't want her to sound scared. "I don't care what the army says. You're alive, Kai, you've got a heart and a soul and breath in your lungs and until you don't then you aren't allowed to be on this bus. Got it?" She bites her lip and sits down next to him. "Kai. You can't leave. Not now. Not after all we've been through. You can't just—just give up now when the going gets tough." There's a helicopter whirring in the distance, and Kai can feel the noise right down to his bones. "There's wounded coming."

"I don't care." He's surprised by the monotony of his words. "The wounded will keep coming whether I'm here or not. Skoochy died and they're still coming. Varrick got killed and they're still coming. Where they come from, they'll never run out. And I just don't care anymore. No one needs me around here."

She sucks in a breath through her teeth. "I do," she says softly, so much honesty in her voice that it takes him slightly aback. "I need you."

And he needs her. He needs her, he realizes with the same feeling he'd gotten when she'd been shot all those months ago. He needs her like he needs air, like he needs to tell Yung that he's still alive. He needs her too. "I need you too," he admits, a bit of life going back into him with the admittance. "I just—I need Yung to know that I'm okay too."

"And he'll know," Jinora says. She says it like it's the gospel truth, and against all odds he actually believes her. "He will. We'll get through to him. I'll write him letters myself if it'll help. I promise it will all work out, Kai." She stands up and offers him her hand. Kai looks up at her, searching her face. Her returning gaze is steady, but there's an uncertainty in her expression. She's afraid that he won't go with her. "Will you come with me?"

After three heartbeats that are drowned out by the sounds of whirring helicopter blades, he takes her hand. "With you," he says quietly, "I'll go anywhere."

When they step off the bus, their fellow doctors and nurses are rushing to the landing pad, hoisting up stretchers full of soldiers and carrying them to the operating room. Blood stains the frosty grass a dark crimson, and the whirring of the helicopter blades isn't enough to completely mask the sounds of the wounded's screams of pain. Sergeant Kuji and Corporal Tikka are running through the chaos and ordering the others to do their jobs. Zhu Li stands next to Korra and marks off those needed for triage and those needed for immediate surgery. Mitali and Mako have already scrubbed up.

Jinora looks at him, and he looks back at her.

Together, they leave the land of the dead and return to the land of the dying.

* * *

Surgery is as long and grueling as it almost always is—this time it takes them about sixteen hours to fix up the broken bones, torn livers and spleens, and bullet-riddled chests of the 160th Battalion. Kai's neck is cramped and his feet hurt and his stomach is growling with hunger for anything edible, so when Korra tells him that his postop shift won't be for another two hours, he gratefully takes the time to go to the mess tent with Jinora.

Halfway through filling up a second cup of the toxic waste they call coffee, Zhu Li materializes at his shoulder. "Captain Wen," she says, and he almost spills his coffee all over himself in surprise at her sudden appearance. He wishes that she'd just tell everyone that she can teleport; it'd make life so much easier for them all. "I haggled with some of the men in I-Corps and they said that they're able to place long-distance calls now."

He drops his coffee on the ground, the cup shattering at his feet, and takes off at a sprint behind Zhu Li all the way to her office, where the telephone system stands proud and gleaming in the light of day. Zhu Li dials the number for him, presses the telephone to his ear and steps away. "Just redial if you're having trouble," she says. "It'll get through now."

Kai nods but he can barely hear her through the nerves churning in his stomach, making him want to throw up the one cup of coffee he'd had. The phone rings and rings in his ear, each noise making him shake. Just as he's about to give up and redial the number that he knows by heart, he hears a click and a connection. "Hello?" The voice on the other end of the line is hoarse from tears, but just the sound of it makes him want to cry too. "Yung Wen speaking."

Kai nearly chokes on the lump rising in his throat. "Yung?"

There's a pause, a pause long enough for him to think that maybe the line had gone out again, but then there's the sound of someone inhaling sharply. "Kai?"

His entire body slumps with relief and tears leak from his eyes at the sound of his father's voice. "Yung. Oh Raava, Yung, you're okay. You're okay." He hates to admit it but he's been terrified all week that Yung might not have been able to stomach the news of Kai's death and might have committed suicide. But no, here he is, alive. They're both alive. "Yung?"

"Kai." Yung sounds as though he'd just been startled out of a dream and he isn't sure where he is or what's going on anymore. "You—you're dead, Kai. You're dead."

"No, no Yung, it was a mistake, the army fucked up some paperwork down the line and accidentally marked me dead. I'm alive, I promise, I'm alive. I've been trying to get a hold of you ever since I found out the news but the entire unit got cut off because of the storm and the whole thing with the president coming over—I couldn't get a hold of you." Kai's crying now, but they're happy tears just from the sound of hearing Yung's voice. "Yung, I'm okay."

 _"Kai."_ On the other side of the world, Yung breaks down crying as well. They're both two fools, sitting here clutching telephones and crying. "Oh Kai, I thought you were dead, they told me you were dead…"

"I'm not dead, Yung, I swear. I'm still kicking, I promise." Kai bites his lip, concern welling up inside of his gut as Yung continues to cry. "Don't cry, Yung, it's okay! I'm fine, I swear." Well, he had almost sent himself home as a corpse, but Yung doesn't have to know that.

Yung inhales quickly. "I'm sorry—I just…oh Kai." There's another sniffle, then Yung sounds a lot more composed. "Does the army know you're still alive?"

"Nah, I'm still legally dead as far as the army's concerned, but they know I'm alive and Korra's trying to rectify the situation as we speak."

Yung reads his mind. "It always comes back down to paperwork, doesn't it?"

Kai snorts. "Yeah, it does." He pauses and wipes his tears aside. "Raava, Yung, it's so good to hear your voice again."

Static breaks up the line momentarily, but then Yung's voice comes through loud and clear. "It's good to hear your voice too, kid." Yung still sounds like he's on the verge of crying, but Kai would rather have happy tears over sad ones any day. "Don't do that to me again, Kai. Please."

"Not if I can help it," Kai promises. Then he remembers another thing that he'd wanted to tell Yung all along and he grins. "Hey, guess what?"

Yung plays along. "What?"

"Jinora and I—we're together now. She broke the engagement."

Yung laughs, and it's one of the sweetest things that Kai's ever heard, better than the voices of angels, better than Zhu Li saying that there aren't any more wounded coming in. "I always knew it'd happen," he says, probably grinning on the other end. "Good for you, Kai."

"Thanks, Yung." He hears the telltale beep on the other end that means their connection's about to be broken up, and he sighs. "I've got to go, the connection's about to be severed. I'll write you soon, okay?"

"Alright." Yung sounds just as reluctant to hang up as Kai does. "I'll write to you soon too. Tell Jinora I say hi, okay?" Kai nods even though Yung can't see him. "Love you, kid."

"Love you too," Kai replies, getting choked up all over again. The dial tone rings in his ear and he hangs up the phone, feeling drained but much happier than he had in almost a week. Yung's okay, he knows that Kai's alive and well, Kai and Jinora are still together, and really, Kai doesn't think that anything can make him happier than he is right now.


	11. Dear Mom

_Dear Jinora:_

 _How could you do something like this? I can't believe that you would willingly give up a good relationship with Akash Chow just to be with some man that you met while the whole world is at war. Your mother and I are currently trying to keep the papers from getting a hold of this because you know how they'll have a field day—remember when Meelo dated that Tuyen girl?—but now that Akash was seen publicly with another woman they've been knocking at our door night and day. (And before you wonder, we did break your engagement with Akash but please know that he is more than willing to take you back if this fling of yours doesn't go through.)_

 _Did you give any thought to your family when you decided to send back your engagement ring? Did you give any thought as to how this would affect not only my political career but the lives of your siblings? Meelo and Rohan and Ikki cannot even leave the house without being bombarded by paparazzi every day. The papers are calling my leadership into question, even; saying that controlling Republic City must be too strenuous if I can't even control my daughter. My opponent is looking better and better in the polls with every passing day, and the big businesses have started to publicly diss our family._

 _Spirits, Jinora. I hope you know that we will always love you but I don't think that you've made the right decision this time._

 _Your father,_

 _Tenzi_ _n_

Jinora stares down at the letter, suddenly acutely aware of the tightness in her lungs. Spirits help her, she'd known that her father wouldn't approve of her relationship with Kai, not when she'd been set up with a well-off man like Akash, but she hadn't expected him to be so…so _cruel_ to her. To say that she doesn't care about her family—hell, she'd only hesitated for so long in telling him because she'd been afraid of what her family's reaction to her breaking the engagement would be! And why haven't her mother or her siblings written back to her as well? Surely they don't despise her for wanting to be with someone that she loves.

"Jinora?" Mitali puts aside her own letters from home and moves over to Jinora's cot, sitting down next to her. She places a gentle hand on Jinora's shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

In answer, Jinora brandishes the letter like a knife and hands it to Mitali. "Let's just say my father isn't too happy about my breaking off the engagement," she says, speaking around the lump growing in her throat. "Or that I broke it to be with Kai."

"That—" Mitali bites the inside of her cheek to prevent a swear word from escaping. She crumples the paper in her hands. "Raava, Jinora, I'm sorry. This is…" She wraps an arm around Jinora and squeezes her briefly. Jinora leans her head on her friend's shoulder, trying not to let any tears leave. "At least he broke off the engagement," she says fairly, clearly trying to find the bright side of the situation. "He could've sent back your ring but he didn't."

"True," she admits. The letter's staring up at her from the bed, like it's judging her for wanting to be happy. "I don't know what to do about this, though. My—my mother didn't even write to me; it was just my father. What if she doesn't want anything to do with me?"

"I don't believe that for a second," Mitali says vehemently, as though such a thought could be worthy of a month scrubbing out the latrines with a toothbrush. "Do you want to know what I think?" Before waiting for Jinora to reply, she pushes onward. "I think that your father is confused right now. That he doesn't know what's going on because if I'm not mistaken, this is the first time you've openly rebelled against him. Right now he can't grasp the concept of his daughter not doing exactly what he told her to do. But once the news starts to sink in, to really sink in, then I really do think that everything will work out and your family will accept Kai and you two can be together and—and it'll all be okay."

A little bit of the weight resting on Jinora's shoulders fades into mist, and she sits up a bit straighter. "Have you been hanging out with Bolin lately?" she asks, barely keeping a straight face.

Mitali shoves her playfully. "Wow, Jinora, after all that I do to try and help you this is the thanks I receive. I've never been so offended—Raava, smite down this woman for her hurtful words—hey!" She barely dodges the pillow that Jinora whacks at her in time. "You're so funny."

"So I've been told," she replies, sobering up a little. "Seriously though, thank you."

"Anytime," Mitali says with a tiny shrug. "That's what friends are for." She stands, brushing the dust off the knees of her pants before offering a hand to Jinora. She takes it and is pulled to her feet. "Want to get a cup of coffee from the mess tent?"

"Sure." They'd just gotten in a new shipment of coffee that hadn't even been from the last war, and since it'll probably run out in another week and leave them with nothing but the surplus that's older than Jinora, everyone's been drinking the good coffee like crazy. "Lead on."

As they walk to the mess tent, Jinora can't help but revel in the warmth. Just last week it'd been freezing and no one had dared step outside without wearing at least two layers, but now it's warm enough for the members of the 6152nd to wear light jackets without shivering. Kai calls it Fire Nation summer, which is Earth Kingdom slang for unusually dry, warm weather occurring in late autumn. Jinora doesn't care what it's called so long it can stay this way until the end of the war.

As fate would have it, she and Mitali find half of the medical staff crowded around their usual table in the mess tent, and after they get their coffee they join them. Kai's at the center of it all, pointing at a piece of paper with a wide grin on his face. "Jin, Mitali!" he says, smile growing brighter once he notices them. "Come here, check this out!"

"What is it?" Mitali asks, coming closer. Zin moves over on the bench to make room for her, and Kai does the same for Jinora. "Did you get it in the mail?"

"Mai got it from her mom," Sora answers before any of them can. "It's a crossword puzzle, the good one from the last edition of the Republic City Chronicle. Kiyi and Mai and I were doing it together and then Xióng here blabbed it all over her postop shift, and now she and Kai and Zin and Mako are doing it too." She punctuates this statement by nudging Xióng's shoulder playfully, who grins as if to say that she's not sorry. Sora doesn't look too bothered by Xióng's indiscretion either. "We're about halfway through."

"We're up to nineteen across," Zin says, pointing at the clue in question. "Six letters and means scandalmonger."

"I keep saying the answer's tattle, but no one's listening to me," Mai complains. "It's my crossword, I ought to get some authority around here when it comes to answers."

"That's 'cause the third letter is s, babe," Xióng says, rolling her eyes fondly. "And don't start arguing about twelve down again because we've already established that the word is bustle, not flurry."

Jinora looks at the piece of paper, her brows furrowing as she thinks about the clue. "What about gossip?" she finally says. "That fits, and it's got six letters with the third one being an s."

Kai points to her like she'd saved the universe singlehandedly. "There we go, ladies and gentlemen, our problems have been solved." He steals the pen from Zin's hand and scratches down the word gossip in the box. "Next one, twenty down, another word for a way out."

"How many letters is it?" Zin asks.

"Uh, nine. No, wait, ten. Ten letters. Ten letters, another word for a way out."

The word seems to stump everyone, even Kiyi (who Jinora learns had figured out the last six clues without a moment's hesitation). Mai and Sora and Xióng start arguing about what exactly the clue is implying, whether it's an example of an exit or something unusual. Mako suggests that it's the latter, and that gets all of them started on another debate.

Jinora taps Kai on the shoulder after Mitali decides to draw up a table of every single thing that it _could_ be just in case they nail the answer by accident. "Hey, um, could I talk to you in private for a second?" she says in an undertone, not wanting the others to hear. As much as she likes all of them, the nurses have a tendency to spread gossip faster than the speed of light. "It's about us."

Kai nods, biting his lip slightly before excusing himself from the chaos of their table. Judging by that, Jinora doubts that anyone will even notice that they've left.

Once they're back in the Swamp, the only place for a true private conversation, Kai turns to her with a slightly scared look on his face. "What's up?" He swallows. "Um…you aren't…do you still want to be together?"

"What? Oh Raava, no. I mean, yes, I still want to be together, not that…" Jinora pinches the bridge of her nose, annoyed at her own stupidity in phrasing the sentence like that. "No, Kai, I…of course I still want to be with you. It's…" She looks down. "W-well, it's kind of about that though. I…"

"Jin." He puts a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up again. "What happened?"

"My parents wrote me back." She picks up the letter lying on her cot and gives it to Kai. "It's not…well, it's not pretty."

While Kai reads, his eyes keep narrowing from anger. By the time he reaches the end, his hands are shaking. "Spirits, Jinora," he finally says. Surprisingly, his voice is calm, and he pulls her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry—I…"

"It's okay," Jinora says. Honestly, she only half believes it herself, but after her talk with Mitali, she's a lot more composed than she could have been. "My father can't hate me forever, and maybe my mother and siblings just haven't had a chance to write yet, and…" She gulps. "It'll all work out in the end. I know they'll like you if they get a chance to meet you."

The corner of his mouth quirks up. "I hope so," he says honestly. "Yung already likes you, so I guess that means it's one down, two to go."

"Yeah, but you were single when we first met," she says, a small smile on her lips as she imagines Yung Wen, sitting in the one part of the Earth Kingdom that's not torn apart by war, worrying about his son and hoping that he'll find love. She wants to give him a medal for best father, should they ever meet. "He was probably praying that you'd come back with a girlfriend."

"I'm not even denying that one," he replies with a snicker. "But really, Jin, I think that your dad's probably just blowing off steam with this letter. I bet you ten yuans that you'll be getting another three letters from your family by the next mail call. And hey." He pauses. "At least they broke off your engagement."

"True," she says, her spirits rising even more so than when Mitali had said that. Now they really can be together, even if her father doesn't approve yet. (She has to believe that he will approve sooner rather than later; she just has to.) She sighs, pushing those thoughts aside for now. "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

In the days that follow her father's letter, Jinora decides to write one of her own. Discounting the letter that she'd written to her family to discuss her feelings for Kai and decision to break off her engagement, she hasn't written a real letter to them in more than a month. It'll help take her mind off things, that's for sure, and after her second shift in postop, she sits down in the mess tent and starts to write.

 _Dear Mom,_

 _I'm sorry that I haven't written a real letter to you or Meelo or Rohan or Ikki in ages; my life's just been a whirlwind of activity over the last several weeks. I know I promised to write you as often as I could and I've neglected that promise, for which I apologize. Hopefully this letter will not only make up for my recent lapse but show you that I'm alive, well, and of perfectly sound mind. So, without further ado, let me catch you up to speed._

 _It's been about three months since our commanding officer, Colonel Varrick, was killed on his way home, and while we've certainly been in mourning (our company clerk, Zhu Li, still misses him terribly, even if she won't admit it to anyone) we've still had some good times. We've had some parties in the Officer's Club that lasted well into the night, which are extremely fun. We also had a visit from a Colonel Quilak, who works in intelligence but doesn't have any to spare—he came as a result of an incident where a soldier woke up with post-traumatic stress of some sort and believed that he was Vaatu. Bolin, our camp psychiatrist, worked with him (the soldier, whose name is Captain Yi) and declared him unfit to fight any longer—much to our relief. If there's a main bad part to being here in Uijeongbu, it's that we have to keep sending men back to fight and get shot and nearly die again. It's an endless cycle that violates the oath we all took in medical school, but what the generals want, the generals get. That aside, we also partook in our own version of the Earth Day Celebrations (Korra's idea) while keeping up with the real ones in Capital City. I broke even on the betting, although Xióng Yali (she's a nurse too) and Bolin made the most out of everyone. I think they were bookies in another life._

 _We've also had a new doctor by the name of Mitali Hema, who hails from the same part of the Earth Kingdom as Kai. She's intelligent, witty, and although we got off on a bad foot, I'm proud to call her my friend. She just started dating another nurse named Zin, and they seem very happy together. (Kai claims that he's heard Zin singing in the showers about her, but I'm not sure if that's true or if I should take that with a grain of salt.) Bolin and Opal, his fiancé, are still planning on getting married soon, although the precise date has still not been chosen. Not that that's unlikely, seeing as we're all too busy working to think about precise things like the time or days of the week, but we're all happy for them. Bolin's older brother, Mako, is still consistently flirting with a nurse named Kiyi Nakahara, who's sweet but extremely shy—I doubt if anything will happen between them before the war ends._

"Major, are you seeing this?"

Jinora looks up at the same time as Korra, who abandons her food instantly to look over at Zhu Li. The sergeant in question has stood up, squinting off into the distance. Jinora and Kai and the others all do the same, and although none of them can see anything concrete, they're all probably thinking of the same thing: a threat, and who's behind it.

"What is it, Zhu Li?" Korra asks, hand twitching at her holster. Mako already has his gun out, as does Xióng, of all people—Jinora hadn't even known that the bubbly nurse owned one. "New Freedom Fighters?"

"No, Major, they would never let themselves be seen in the open like this." Zhu Li's right, of course. Even back when Jinora had gotten shot the New Freedom Fighters had stayed out of sight, hidden in the trees. They'd never approach the camp in a gigantic group like this—one that Jinora estimates is about twenty people deep. Zhu Li suddenly inhales. "Major, look."

All of them, including Korra, look closer at the group of people in the distance, ones that the enlisted men and women on guard have clearly let through. The group of people with a clear leader in the front of them all—a lieutenant with raven-colored hair. A woman.

Korra is out the door in less than a second, followed closely by Mako, Zhu Li, and everyone in the mess tent. Everyone else is pouring out of their tents to see who's come to camp and whether or not they're a threat. Jinora holds her breath, praying that the raven-haired woman at the forefront of the group is who they all think she is. Kai takes her hand and leans in close to her. "Think it's Asami?"

"Korra wouldn't run like that for just anyone," she mutters back. Mitali, who stands next to them, looks rather confused, and Jinora suddenly remembers that Mitali's new enough that she doesn't know about Korra's girlfriend yet. Hopefully Zin or someone will fill her in. In a voice loud enough for the other medical staff to hear, Jinora says, "Let's go up front; maybe they need medical attention."

The doctors and nurses push their way to the front of the group that Korra's leading, and Jinora sees Korra stop in her tracks once the two groups of people get close enough. The woman at the front salutes them all, moving into position. The sea of people behind her do the same. "Lieutenant Asami Sato of the 4077th Engineers' Battalion, serial number 442689567," Asami says, her voice serious as Jinora's ever heard it. "Permission to speak freely, ma'am?"

Korra's face goes through a number of emotions in less than a second, and Jinora struggles to identify them as they flicker past. Relief. Nerves. Sadness. Sadness because if one of them was a man, they could kiss in front of everyone in the 6152nd with no worries about their reputations. She fights the strong urge to write to her father so he and the council can vote to eliminate discrimination of the LGBT community. "At ease, Lieutenant Sato," Korra finally says, her voice a tad shaky but calm nonetheless. She looks as though a slight breeze could bowl her over, and she's drinking in Asami like a man discovering water in the desert. "It's good to see you."

Asami inclines her head. "It's good to see you as well, Major," she replies softly, moving into rest position. The men and women behind her do the same. Jinora notices that Asami's sporting several new bruises and faded scars but looks no worse the wear. "I apologize for the influx of personnel into your unit, ma'am, but this was the closest place to a safe house we've all got."

Korra's eyes widen, obviously surprised that they could ever think of themselves as an imposition. "No problem at all, Lieutenant. Uh, and if you don't mind telling me…just where in the name of Raava did you all come from?"

"Hidao-Jeong, Major," another young woman pipes up. Something in the back of Jinora's mind clicks and she recognizes the woman as Sergeant Meilin Sabad, Asami's second in command. Spirits, the sergeant looks like she's been through hell and back. They all do. "We were in a prisoner of war camp and escaped three nights ago. We've been walking ever since. Lieutenant Sato insisted that this was the closest we would be able to get to a safe place away from enemy lines. And we…we lost ten of us along the way, ma'am."

Everyone present winces at the fatality count. Korra still appears to be stuck on the first part of Sergeant Sabad's sentence. "You…you walked all the way here from _Hidao-Jeong_?"

"Yes, Major," says the man on Asami's right. He looks to be around his late thirties and he wears the rank of a captain—yet he clearly defers to Asami. Interesting. Jinora already likes him better than Colonel Ximena, the last man associated with the 4077th. "Ma'am, my name's Ho-Jon Tran and I was in that POW camp for a month and a half when Lieutenant Sato showed up. She was a godsend, an absolute godsend. Why, in all of my time in the army I've never seen a commander as cool and collected in times of trouble. She organizes us all and helped us escape, all sixty of us." Jinora gapes at the large number of people. By Raava, Asami's ragtag group of former POWs outnumbers every member at the 6152nd. "Major, I'd like to request that she be nominated for a Copper Sun. Two, even!"

Mako steps forward while Korra splutters and Asami blushes bright red at Tran's praise. "Ladies and gentlemen," he says in a commanding voice, "my name is Major Lieng, I'm second in command here. Now, we recognize that you've come a great distance and many of you must be tired and hungry and in need of rest. If you need any sort of medical attention, please follow me and Lieutenant Beifong to postop." Opal gives them a friendly wave. "If you'd like something to eat or drink, please follow Sergeant Kuji and Corporal Tikka to the mess tent. Sergeant Igoru, go and prepare these people something to eat." Sergeant Igoru salutes Mako and beats a hasty retreat toward the kitchens. "I'll need a team to set up tents for these people to stay in in the meantime…"

"How many of you are from units other than the 4077th?" Zhu Li asks while Mako organizes his team of enlisted men and women. Over two-thirds of the POWs present raise their hands. "Alright. Would one representative from each unit follow me? I'll be placing a call to Ba Sing Se HQ and I'll need you to tell them of every detail of your stay in Hidao-Jeong."

The crowd slowly disperses, each POW following Mako, Opal, Corporal Tikka, Sergeant Kuji, or Zhu Li. Mitali, Kiyi, Mai, Sora, Zin, Xióng, Bolin, and Kai go to postop to assist the fifteen or so people in need of medical assistance. Jinora hesitates a moment, staying long enough to catch the last part of Korra's conversation with Asami.

"—you alright?" Korra is saying in a low undertone to Asami, gripping the other woman's shoulders. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, I'm just tired. It's been a long few weeks." Asami gives Korra a hesitant smile, and it feels like watching the sun rise after a long night. "It's good to see you, Korra."

Korra's face nearly crumples from the weight of her relief, but she holds herself steady. She's still being watched, of course. "Come with me, Lieutenant," she finally says. "I'd like you to debrief me about your time in Hidao-Jeong."

Asami grins. "Yes, ma'am."

Jinora fights the urge to stick a Do Not Disturb sign on Korra's office door on her way to postop.

* * *

Thankfully, none of the soldiers have any serious illnesses or injuries—they're all just overtired and in need of food, and thankfully the 6152nd has enough food and beds to spare. (Even if they didn't, Jinora suspects that Korra would find a way to provide for Asami and her group of ragtag prisoners of war.) Zhu Li makes over fifty phone calls to Ba Sing Se HQ, identifying men and women from units stationed all over the Earth Kingdom. General Raiko even agrees to take some time off from planning his election campaign to charter a helicopter to bring back the POWs to their original units, as well as to stop by the 6152nd and give Asami a Copper Sun. Needless to say the next few days will be interesting enough to keep them all busy.

"The unit got captured when we were heading back from Capital City to report for new assignments," Asami reveals that night at dinner in between bites of liver and onions. Korra's hanging on her every word, as are the others gathered at their table. "According to the commandant there, we couldn't even notify our families that we'd been captured, just our commanding officers. That's why I hadn't been able to keep in touch with you, Korra." She swallows. "Hidao-Jeong was kind of a melting pot of POWs—we had people from all over the country there, including Captain Tran's unit."

"We were stationed all the way up near Yu Dao and Bushou, nowhere near the fighting," Captain Tran says, voice muffled by food. "Then we had to come down to Ba Sing Se to report for the year and got taken by some New Freedom Fighters, who took us to Hidao-Jeong. There were ten of us to begin with, and it ended up being myself and two others by the time we escaped."

"After about a month in there, I knew we had to get out before the end of the war," Asami continues. "So I organized everyone, telling them to grab any weapons they could, anything that we needed to escape. At midnight we cut through the barbed-wire fence and got like forty of us out that way before they started shooting. We tried to run, tried to get everyone out that we could, but…" She pauses, most likely in memory of those that they'd lost. "Like Meilin said, we lost ten of us on the way. They succumbed to their injuries and I kept their dog tags to give to their parents."

"Lieutenant Sato's an inspiration to us all, Major," Captain Tran chimes in. "We couldn't have done it without her."

"Yeah, she's great," Korra agrees with a smile in Asami's direction. Asami shoots her one back, albeit hers is a little more sly. _They definitely fucked in Korra's office,_ Jinora thinks.

Captain Tran studies the two of them, his brows furrowing. "So, eh, how did you two meet?"

Korra, much to Jinora's surprise, snorts in laughter. "I think I've still got the scars from our first meeting, Captain."

"Oh my Spirits, Korra," Asami mutters under her breath, humor etched in every syllable. "Will you let it go already?" To the captain, she says, "The major and I met when I accidently hit her with my moped."

Jinora chokes on her drink, and Kai thumps her on the back three times. Mako is the only one who doesn't react—he's probably heard the story a million times at this point, as he's Korra's best friend. "What?" She looks over at Korra. "Is that true?"

Korra shrugs. "Yep. I was walking to catch a trolley—a trolley back to my apartment in Republic City—and suddenly there was a moped racing towards me. Next thing I knew I was on the ground, completely winded—"

"Because you bruised a rib, Korra," Asami says, rolling her eyes. "And I tried to be helpful and take her to the hospital, but she kept on arguing with the doctors and nurses there. They kept trying to help her but she wouldn't listen; she kept saying, 'I don't need a nurse, damn it, I am a nurse! An army nurse! I outrank all of you!' And then I finally snapped and told her to sit down otherwise I'd _make_ her sit down, army or no. That got to her."

"And I've always admired someone who can get through to me, so we became good friends after that," Korra says with a laugh. "Then we ended up enlisting together, and she ended up with the 4077th and I ended up here as the second in command—well, first in command at the moment. And the rest is history."

That's actually a far sweeter story than what Jinora had been expecting—she'd expected something out of an action mover, Korra as the hero with Asami as the damsel in distress, but this is something straight out of those romance dramas that Ikki and Rohan love. They'd started out roughly but had grown into friends, and then into something more. Perhaps they'll even get married someday, if the laws of the land are ever changed.

"It's very sweet that you've been friends for so long," Mitali says, bringing everyone back down to earth. Korra and Asami flush. "Even my friends back home and I haven't known each other for so long."

Her sincerity seems to dispel any of the suspicions that the captain has regarding Asami and Korra's relationship, and the conversation continues. Jinora resolves to tell Mitali about Korra and Asami as soon as dinner is over. "What do you do as a civilian, Major?" asks Captain Tran. "And the rest of you, are you all doctors and nurses?"

"I'm career army, Captain," Korra says after everyone says an affirmative. "Have been since I was seventeen, when I ran off to Republic City to enlist. I live there when I'm not on duty. My mom and dad weren't too pleased about my decision then—they wanted me to take my dad's job when he retired—but they're happy now." At Captain Tran's questioning look, she exchanges a look with Asami before she sighs and says, "My dad's the chief of the Southern Water Tribe."

Jinora spits out her drink. The others all look equally amazed, even Mako—and if Korra hasn't told him this, then that means that she's never told anyone this before. Raava Almighty. Korra's the daughter of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe, and that means…that means that Jinora's father and Korra's father have most likely met before on business. She suddenly remembers reading a newspaper article at the age of eleven saying that the chief's daughter had run off to join the army, how her father had personally visited the chief after that. That's just crazy.

"Wow," she says, for lack of anything better to say. Captain Tran also seems to have grasped that he's in the presence of literal _royalty_ and his jaw has dropped to his plate. "So…" _So why didn't you stay and become the princess of the Southern Water Tribe? Why did you give it all up to enlist in the army?_ "So why did you want to become a nurse?"

Korra shrugs. "I wanted to help people, and being a nurse seemed to be the best way to do so." She grins at them. "Plus I can't shoot for shit." That gets a few laughs as the medical staff knows that Mako's the best shooter of them all but Korra's definitely a close second. To the staff, she says, "Anyway, that's nothing compared to what Asami does outside of the war."

Asami sends her a glare. "That's not necessary." At everyone's curious looks (with the exception of Korra and Captain Tran), she relents. "I'm the CFO of Future Industries."

"Her dad's the CEO, but Asami's really the genius behind the scenes," Korra jumps in. The news isn't quite as impressive considering that no one at the 6152nd knows Asami too well, but it's still cool nonetheless. Xióng, Mai, and Sora look particularly impressed. Asami blushes, not looking up from her plate. "She's a brilliant engineer."

"I couldn't believe it when she told me," says Captain Tran. "And I can't believe that I'm having dinner with the princess of the Southern Water Tribe and the CFO of Future Industries." _Not to mention the governor of Republic City's daughter,_ Jinora wants to say, but decides against it. "Makes me feel like I ought to have worn formalwear tonight."

Korra looks rather uneasy. "Please, Captain, there's no need for that. I gave up my right to become princess twenty years ago—I'd rather be treated with respect for my job and my rank rather than my lineage."

"Of course, Major." Captain Tran looks surprised that she'd had to ask, but nods nonetheless and changes the subject. "I'm from Xanten; that's a town in the Fire Nation just outside Capital City—nothing quite as impressive as where you and Lieutenant Sato are from, Major," he adds. "But it's home, and I'd quite like to go back there once it's all over here."

"Born and raised in Xanten, so I get how you feel," Xióng replies. "What do you like to do for fun?"

"I'm a writer, actually," says Captain Tran. Jinora raises her eyebrows, not having expected that. "And I love to solve puzzles—anagrams, word searches, crosswords, you name it."

Xióng and Mai smile at each other knowingly. Kai grabs the newspaper out of his pocket before giving it over to Captain Tran. "Any chance you could help us out here, Captain?" he asks. "We're a bit stuck on twenty down. Ten letters, another way to say 'a way out.'"

Captain Tran bites the inside of his cheek as he examines the paper with the intensity of an art critic inspecting a famous painting. He runs a hand through his curly black hair, deep in thought. "A way out, ten letters. Hmm. There's a lot of different types of exits—a fire escape, a doorway, a hatch, a window…"

"Fire escape has ten letters," Kiyi says, speaking up for the first time all night. "It'll fit in the boxes for sure."

"Hey, Kiyi's right," Mai says, high-fiving her. Sora throws her arm around the timid nurse, who looks out of her element now that everyone's attention is on her. "Way to go, babe."

"Thank Captain Tran, he gave me the idea of a fire escape," Kiyi answers, her cheeks the color of Mako's ever-present scarf.

"I believe that the unit is indebted to you, Captain Tran," Korra says jokingly. "This would have kept them busy for weeks and I have no doubt that our productivity would have suffered because of it."

"I highly doubt that, Major."

* * *

 _Sorry about that, Mom. A lot of things all happened at once, and I'll do my best to explain them. Korra's friend Lieutenant Asami Sato (yes, Sato, like Future Industries Sato) was recently a prisoner of war, and she and about sixty others came marching into camp like they'd hadn't all disappeared for the last month. Korra's really pleased to have her friend back, as am I. A happy CO's always better than an angry one, after all. We had dinner and later partied at the Officer's Club to welcome her and everyone else to the 6152_ _nd_ _, and it finally wound down less than an hour ago (it's about three in the morning as I write this). Captain Ho-Jon Tran of the 654_ _th_ _has proven to be a good friend—he helped us solve a missing clue to a crossword puzzle that we've been stuck on for five days, for which I'm grateful. Now Mitali and Zin can stop looking into every hidden meaning of a ten letter word for 'a way out'. (The answer's fire escape, by the way.) Kai was even talking about phoning a friend in the navy for the answer. Thank Raava it didn't come to that._

 _General Raiko will be coming to camp soon to deliver the POWs back to their respective units as well as to give Asami a Copper Sun for her bravery and meritorious service in the line of duty. I reckon she should have gotten a promotion to boot (as should Zhu Li for working so hard to get General Raiko to come here), but I'm a doctor, not a general. I suppose that makes all the difference._

 _Best get some sleep. According to our schedule, I've got a postop shift in the morning. I'll write more in about eight hours._

* * *

Jinora jerks awake when a siren goes off, flailing her arms and nearly falling off her cot in the process. Kai actually does fall off his cot, right on top of Mako, who'd fallen asleep on the floor. Mitali, who's quite possibly the deepest sleeper in the world, doesn't even twitch.

"What the fuck is going on?" Mako groans, voice hoarse from getting the wind knocked out of him. "Kai, _get off_ —"

"Sorry, sorry—"

Before Jinora can reiterate Mako's question or throw a pillow to wake up Mitali so she can join in on the fun, Zhu Li comes racing into the tent with her uniform and hair askew. "Captains, Major, please report to center of the field. General Raiko's arriving in twenty minutes."

"What?" Jinora's suddenly wide awake. In the corner, Mitali finally stirs and sits up, rubbing her eyes. Her normally perfect hair is even messier than Zhu Li's. "What are you talking about? You said he wouldn't be coming right away!"

"I said that he'd be here soon!" Zhu Li snaps. Jinora's never seen her look this flustered before. "I didn't know that soon meant immediately! His aide d'camp woke me up five minutes ago when she called to say that he was on his way. I woke you up and the major—shit, Major Iluak! I have to wake her up. Go on, get dressed all of you and meet me in the center of the field in five. Be in uniform." Then, just as quickly as she'd entered, she runs back out into the field.

Jinora throws on her uniform, shoving her feet into her combat boots. Mitali runs a brush through her hair while Kai and Mako pin their medals to their uniform jackets. "For Raava's sake," Mako mutters, pulling on his pants one leg at a time. "If I could vote, I wouldn't vote for Raiko in the next election."

"If he's up against Akiyama, I don't blame you there." Jinora buttons up her shirt, smoothing the front of it down. "Spirits. What time is it?"

"Ten past seven," Mitali says after a cursory glance at her watch. "C'mon, let's get going."

They run into the field, Mitali closing the door of the Swamp behind her. Jinora's kind of glad to see that everyone's awake for Raiko's arrival, not just them. Xióng looks ready to fall asleep standing up, Sora and Mai have clearly just come off a postop shift judging by their scrubs, and Kiyi, Zin, and Opal look like they're still intoxicated. Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji are organizing the unit into ceremony positions, and the POWs all look like they'd rather be asleep. Sergeant Sabad and Captain Tran are deep in conversation. Zhu Li has set up a camera to take pictures of the ceremony. Korra comes running out of her tent with Asami on her heels just as a jeep drives up the road into the camp.

General Raiko exits the car once it comes to a complete stop. His hair is slicked back with grease, gray spots peppered here and there. His sunglasses cover ice-blue eyes, and he's got a thick mustache that is definitely not regulation. He exudes charisma and condescension all at once, and Jinora dislikes him almost immediately. "Major Iluak," he says calmly. Korra salutes him. "At ease. Thank you for having me."

"Thank you for joining us, General," Korra answers. She gestures for Asami to move forward, which the lieutenant does. "May I present Lieutenant Asami Sato."

General Raiko doesn't look Asami; he just gives her a dismissive gesture. She moves into rest position, and the jeep driver hands the general a slim velvet box. "Lieutenant Sato," says Raiko. "I understand that you were the one who got all of these soldiers out from the POW camp in Hidao-Jeong, correct?"

"Yes, General," Asami says, keeping her expression impassive. Korra and Captain Tran flank her on both sides. "It was a long walk and we lost ten of us on the way, but I knew that once we got to a safe place then we would be okay."

"And just what do you intend to say to the parents of the soldiers who were killed in the escape?" General Raiko asks, raising a single eyebrow. "Your actions were no doubt meritorious but you do have to answer for the deaths of ten soldiers."

Jinora suddenly remembers Kai telling her that Varrick had once punched General Raiko in the face. She'd felt horrified at the time but now completely understands his motivations. Korra looks even more murderous, and Raiko's rank is probably the only thing keeping her from telling him where to stick his comments.

"I intend to say that their child died doing what they thought was right, sir," Asami replies coolly. "That they died for their country as a hero."

He hums under his breath but doesn't imply anything further. "I find it hard to believe that a pretty thing like you did this by yourself," he says in a voice so quiet that Jinora almost misses it. Korra looks ready to breathe fire but stays silent. To interrupt the general now would be suicide. "Did you sleep with the guards to procure necessary weapons?"

Jinora barely stifles a gasp. Asami, to her everlasting credit, does not react outwardly, but Korra and Captain Tran look seconds away from strangling the general. "No, General," she says. Behind her calm demeanor is a spine and voice of steel, and Jinora likes her better by the moment. "I would never."

"General Raiko," says the jeep driver, "we're on a tight schedule."

That brings General Raiko back to himself, and he nods. "Of course, Corporal," he says, opening the velvet box to reveal a Copper Sun, the bronze medal glinting in the early morning light. "Lieutenant Sato, I would like to thank you for your service on behalf of the United Forces." He pins the medal to her uniform, where it hangs between two Indigo Cruxes. A camera flashes and clicks in the background. "Congratulations."

The crowd of soldiers applauds and the members of the 6152nd quickly join in. Someone—Jinora thinks it's Sergeant Sabad—lets out a long wolf whistle, and a few nervous giggles erupt. Asami looks down at her shirt before looking back up at the general, her expression not changing. "Thank you, sir."

"At ease, Lieutenant." He closes the box with a snap and puts it in the jacket pocket of his uniform. "Well, I believe that's that. Major Iluak, thank you again for inviting us here." To Zhu Li, who'd just stepped back from the camera (the same one that they'd used when they'd broken the world record, Jinora notices), he says, "You're welcome to send along the photos to my aide d'camp, Corporal Miken. She will know what to do with them."

Zhu Li salutes immediately. "Yes, General."

He nods at her approvingly, climbing back into the passenger seat of the jeep. The driver starts the ignition, and General Raiko gives them all a one-handed wave. "Thank you for your time," he says before the corporal drives the jeep away into the distance. Jinora can't say that she isn't relieved to see him go.

"Told you he was a jackass, Jin," Kai says to her once the crowd starts dissipating. Asami and Captain Tran's units have gathered around the lieutenant as she shows off her new medal. Korra's talking to Zhu Li.

She doesn't bother refuting it. Instead, she takes his hand and the two of them stroll down the path to the mess tent, where breakfast will be served soon. "I'm surprised Korra didn't knock his teeth out."

"Varrick would never have punched Raiko if Raiko hadn't punched first," Kai points out. "Korra can be hotheaded but she's not reckless. She wouldn't dare risk her career or Lieutenant Sato's to cold-cock someone like that."

"Still!" Jinora's anger, which she'd forced down while Asami had dealt with Raiko, returns in full force. Kai holds the door of the mess tent open for her and she walks through, sitting down at their usual table with a thump. "She's a hero, for Raava's sake! If she were a man then she would've gotten a promotion and two Copper Suns and her own HQ to run and—Spirits, it just pisses me off." She steeples her fingers together and sighs. "I'm just happy that she got the Copper Sun."

"So is she, I bet," Kai says. He rises to get two cups of coffee and then returns. "And think about it like this. Korra will probably be a general or a commander in ten or fifteen years, so she can send off sexists like Raiko to posts that no one wants and no one will be able to do anything about it."

"Here's hoping." She takes a sip, wrinkling her nose almost instantly. So much for her dreams of the good coffee lasting forever. "Korra's not going to be pleased that Asami and the others have to leave so soon."

"Right, well…" He raises his cup in a makeshift toast. "Then I suppose we ought to make the best of the time we have."

Spirits, she loves this man. "I can live with that."

They clink cups. "Cheers."

* * *

True to General Raiko's word, he does order a plethora of helicopters to the 6152nd to pick up Asami and her ragtag unit of POWs almost as soon as he arrives back on base. The former POWs have nothing to pack, so everyone spends the day embroiled in a poker tournament—even the injured soldiers in postop. Bolin gets out in round three and loses twenty yuans; Opal gets his money back in round four. Jinora isn't great at poker but she has a lot of fun participating, and she likes to watch Kai play—he gets extremely competitive and it's really funny to see.

At five in the afternoon, the helicopters arrive and the poker tournament is disbanded. (Sergeant Sabad ends up narrowly defeating Zhu Li for a place in the finals but loses to Captain Tran, who, despite his jovial attitude, has an excellent poker face.) The soldiers all exchange heartfelt goodbyes with the 6152nd. Jinora gets hugged by Sergeant Sabad and three or four others, who thank her for helping them. The medical staff says their goodbyes to their temporary patients. Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji are both lost in conversation with a pair of corporals from Asami's unit.

"Captain Tran," Xióng says, pushing her way through the crowd to meet the captain in the middle. "I…it was really nice to meet you. I don't often get to meet people from home, especially not from Xanten." She presses a piece of paper into his hands. "Um, would you write to me? If you get the chance, I mean."

Jinora's never seen the usually bubbly nurse look so nervous, but Captain Tran's smile clearly puts her at ease. "I'd love to, ma'am," he says, folding the paper up and placing it in his shirt pocket. "Although we may have to call each other by our first names for this to work."

"Alright then." She winks at him, running a hand through her hair. "I'll write to you soon, Ho-Jon. Stay safe."

"You too, Xióng."

Xióng returns to Sora, Mai and Kiyi with a grin bright enough to power Republic City for a year as Captain Tran and his unit move toward their helicopter with another unit, the 803rd. Thankfully there's enough helicopters for all of the former prisoners to fit easily.

Asami's waiting for Captain Tran by the door, and she sticks out her hand. "It was an honor to meet you," she tells him. "Thank you for keeping me alive."

"My thanks all go to you, Lieutenant Sato," says Captain Tran in a voice quiet enough that Jinora can barely hear him over the whirring of the chopper blades. He takes her hand and pulls her into a tight hug. "Thanks for getting us out, and keeping me sane."

She grips the back of his shirt tightly and claps him on the back before pulling away. "Bye, Ho-Jon," she says warmly. "Good luck."

He nods back at her and shakes Korra's hand before boarding the helicopter, the remainder of his unit and the 803rd right behind him.

Soon, there's only one helicopter left, and the only two units remaining in the camp are the 4077th and the 9082nd, both of whom are able to fit. Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji bid farewell to their new friends, who board the helicopter while frantically waving goodbye.

Korra coughs, rubbing the back of her neck. "So, um," she says awkwardly to Asami, "you won't get trapped in another POW camp, right?"

"No." Asami looks like she's holding back laughter and tears and can't decide which one to release first. "I'll stay safe, Korra. I promise."

"Good." Korra inhales sharply and pulls Asami into a tight hug, holding the lieutenant like she's an anchor holding her down to the earth. After a few seconds, the two of them pull away from each other. "Write me, okay?"

"Every chance I get," Asami replies. She reaches out and touches Korra's cheek with her hand softly, like she's memorizing the feeling of her girlfriend's face. "Bye, Korra."

"Bye, 'Sami."

Asami bites her lip and nods at Korra before stepping back as though she's got weights tied to her ankles, like every step away pains her. She walks toward the helicopter with her head held high, hair whipping around her face because of the wind generated by the whirring chopper blades. Jinora moves back and stands next to Kai, watching the helicopter rise lopsidedly into the air and fly off into the distance.

"She'll be alright," Zhu Li says to Korra.

Her words snap everyone out of the daze they're in, and Korra wipes her eyes. "Yeah," she says softly. "Yeah, she will."

* * *

 _My postop shift that I told you about ended up getting a bit postponed. General Raiko came to give Lieutenant Sato her Copper Sun a lot earlier than expected—less than a day after Zhu Li phoned his aide d'camp about it. I may not like the man but I'll give him this; he's extremely punctual. Asami was very gracious in her acceptance considering the general's sexism, and Korra and Captain Tran are very proud of her._

 _She and her unit and the others all left about an hour ago. Xióng made Captain Tran promise to write her if he got the chance, and he seems pleased at the thought of having a pen pal. Asami, although unhappy to have left, seems grateful to at least have a medal to show for her bravery. All sixty of them went back to their own units all over the Earth Kingdom, and life here has gone on as per usual. Lots of surgery, playing cards, and drinking in the Officers Club, with a side of food that's surplus from the last war. (As a side note, is there a chance I can get a care package? I've been craving your egg cookies something fierce.)_

 _Mom, I've neglected mentioning my relationship with Kai until the end of this letter on purpose. I'm sorry for hurting the family, I'm sorry that Ikki and Meelo and Rohan are suffering, I'm sorry Dad's career is going downhill; I really am. But I'm in love with Kai and there's no changing that. Even if I could, I wouldn't want to. And is my marriage to Akash really the only solution to Dad's problems with the big businesses? Can't he pass laws to help them instead of marrying me off?_

 _I won't try to change your mind. Just know that mine won't change. And if you can't accept that, then…this will be the last you'll hear from me. (I pray that it won't come to that.)_

 _I love you, I miss you, and I hope this war ends soon so I can see you all again._

 _Yours,_

 _Jinora Gyatso_

She stares down at her letter, breath quickening. This is it. If she mails this letter now and her parents don't reply, then that'll be the end of it. She'll probably end up reading about herself being disowned in the Republic City Chronicle.

But she wants to be with Kai. She wants that almost more than she wants the war to end. And if her family doesn't like that, they'll just have to deal with it because she isn't going to give him up. Not again. Not ever again.

"Jinora!" Kai calls from outside of the Swamp. Bolin and Opal are with him—they're all going on a double date to Luoxi's. "Hey, you coming?"

She stuffs the letter into an envelope and places into the To-Mail folder, where it rests next to Kai, Mitali, and Mako's letters. Zhu Li will send it off for her in the morning. "Yeah," she says, her voice calm. "I'm on my way."


	12. Over the Edge

In the days following the incident with General Raiko and the sudden arrival of Lieutenant Sato and her ragtag team of POWs, life at the 6152nd goes on as usual. The wounded continue to come and go in spurts. Xióng seems to like having a pen pal to write to, and Kai often sees her giggling and grinning over Captain Tran's letters with Kiyi, Mai and Sora during mealtimes. Mako finally succeeds in asking Kiyi to go out with him, much to the surprise of everyone in camp. Bolin wins the betting pool on Mako and Kiyi, and he buys Opal a new pair of earrings with the proceeds. Mitali and Zin sweep the medical staff dry in the weekly poker game. Korra writes more often than ever to Lieutenant Sato now, almost as if she's afraid that her girlfriend will disappear if she doesn't churn out two letters a week. Zhu Li goes a little quiet around Varrick's birthday but returns to the unit with dry eyes and new levels of efficiency after spending the evening in a bar up in Gaoling.

He's still got Jinora, and she's still got him. Her father's disapproval hasn't lessened their love for each other. Yung sends Jinora a care package after Kai writes him of Tenzin Gyatso's letter, and Jinora's smile upon receiving a package of homemade egg cookies could have powered Republic City for a year. They haven't heard back from the Gyatso family since Jinora had mailed them her ultimatum, but Kai supposes that again, no news is good news. It had certainly been true last time.

And yet…despite everything going well, he can't help but feel that something is wrong, like the entire world is waiting with bated breath for something bad to happen. After Skoochy dying, Varrick dying, Jinora getting shot and the army labeling Kai deceased, he can't help his outbreak of paranoia. He tries to talk to Bolin about it—it's his job to deal with weird outbreaks of paranoia from soldiers, after all—but the psychiatrist can't come up with a viable reason behind or solution to Kai's problems.

"It's been a rough year, kid," Bolin had said. "I think you've developed some kind of…" He'd hesitated. "You know how there are patterns in the plates that we use? And how you just automatically know that after the stripe of yellow there's a stripe of blue?" Understanding the analogy but not its context, Kai had nodded. "I think what you're dealing with is something like that. A lot of things have happened, some good and some bad, and you've grown accustomed to a pattern, to a catch. If a good thing happens, then a bad thing has to happen right after." Bolin had paused, patting Kai on the shoulder. "The world isn't structured like a plate, Kai. Eventually the pattern's got to break."

Five days after his conversation with Bolin, Kai realizes, in fact, that patterns are harder to break than he'd thought.

* * *

He's walking back from the mess tent with Jinora, Mai, Zin, and Kiyi when he sees a struggle occurring on the field in front of Korra's office. There's an Earth Kingdom man wearing a vaguely familiar uniform and a twisted scowl, and he's got an arm wrapped around another Earth Kingdom man. The other one has the same uniform as the first man, but there's a dark patch seeping through the front of his shirt. Kai hears someone call for Korra and Zhu Li—probably Kiyi, as that seems like something she would do—but Kai doesn't move. Why hasn't one of them shouted for help? Why are they heading toward the supply tent?

Why—

Oh.

 _Oh._

"We should help them," Jinora says to Kai, sounding surprised that he hasn't moved already. "Look, Kai, that other one's hurt!"

"They aren't here looking for help, Jinora," Mai says quietly. Kai startles out of his trance, realizing that the nurse has probably come to the same conclusion as him. "They're here to steal supplies so the healthy one can treat the injured one himself."

Jinora's eyes widen. Sometimes Kai forgets that despite her competency in the operating room, she's only been here for less than a year. She'd skipped the earliest parts of the war, where incidents like this had been a monthly occurrence. "We've got to do something, don't we? Kai?"

Kai's already moving forward on unsteady legs, pushing back the memories of a worse time. "Sir?" he says, staying several feet away from the injured man and his friend. The first one stiffens, and the second one's expression doesn't change. Kai suddenly realizes that he has no idea what to say. "Um…my name's Captain Wen—"

"Wen?" the first one says, looking interested. He's got a gruff sort of voice, like he's spent half his life trying to make himself heard over a spray of gunfire. "Huh. That's a name from around here, ain't it?"

"That it is," Kai confirms. "I'm from Yu Dao—it's a town up north, pretty small so I doubt you've ever gone up there…" While he's talking, he hears footsteps and can tell that the others are arriving, Korra and Zhu Li and Mako most likely included. _Please Raava, let them bail me out soon._ "What's your name?"

"Cheng," says the first one. "Sergeant Cheng. This here's Corporal Fang." He gets a look at the insignia on Kai's jacket and grimaces, the interest upon hearing Kai's last name fading. "I see. You're one of the United Forces traitors." Oh boy, this won't be going well. Then Cheng's eyes cast upwards to the white armband with a red cross decorating Kai's bicep and he grins. "But you're a doctor. You're just what I need."

Kai definitely does not like the sound of that. "What you…need?"

"Fang got shot in the stomach," Cheng says, the gleam in his eyes growing more and more maniacal by the second. "I was gonna steal some supplies and fix him up but I'm not a sawbones. I was hoping for help and here you are. A doctor and an Earth Kingdom one to boot. Yes."

"Um." Kai turns around to look at the others. Korra is there, and she shakes her head minutely. "I don't think…" His words come to a thudding stop as he turns back to see Cheng pointing a gun directly in his face. He swallows, hands coming up to defend himself out of reflex. All of a sudden he's a scared little kid again, hiding from bullies at his old orphanage, grasping his bedsheets as he wakes up from a nightmare. "I…I can't—"

"Why? Something wrong with you? What kind of doctor are you?"

"I'm…" Kai swallows again, his words coming to him from far away. It's hard to think coherently when there's a crazy man with a gun in front of him. "I'm the head surgeon here. But that—that's not the point. I just…it'll be a tricky surgery, I'll need a nurse—" He goes silent immediately, hating himself for potentially dragging someone else into this crazy scheme. This could become a hostage situation, and no one can intervene without Kai or a nurse getting shot.

Cheng doesn't let go of Fang. Instead, he hoists his now-unconscious friend up a little without letting go of the gun, which is still aimed directly between Kai's eyes. His eyes search the crowd, which is as silent as the grave. The doctors are safe, as are the enlisted men, but no one wants to say anything. No one can. "Which ones of you are nurses?" he demands, finger inching closer to the trigger. "Go on!"

Slowly, Kiyi steps forward, followed by Mai and Sora and Xióng. Opal, Zin, and Korra do the same. "We're all nurses," Korra says warily. If it weren't for that gun she would have tackled Cheng by now. "I'm Major Iluak, the commanding officer."

"Well, Major Iluak, tell me," Cheng says with the air of one man discussing the weather, "who's your most competent nurse?" The answer to this question could be a death sentence for any of the nurses, and Korra hesitates, looking all of them over carefully. Cheng waves his gun impatiently. "Answer me, bitch, because either my friend gets the best or your head surgeon here gets a bullet in the skull."

Before Korra can choose which nurse to send to be a hostage, Zin speaks up. "I'm the best one," he says. In the distance, Mitali lets out a little gasp. Kai can see Jinora clutching Mitali's hand out of the corner of his eye. "Besides, you don't want your friend's life in a woman's hands, do you?"

While Cheng considers Zin's statement—his stupid, stupid oh-so-brave statement—Kai debates the merits of rushing Cheng so Mako or Korra can get the gun away from the crazy sergeant and his injured friend. But no, there's no way he'll be able to do that without getting himself killed—or worse, getting someone he cares about killed. "Fine," says Cheng, like he's talking about the weather or something equally as trivial. "What's your name?"

Zin hesitates. Kai knows exactly what he's thinking—if Cheng is as much of an Earth Kingdom nationalist as they think he is, then learning that Zin is from the Fire Nation will not go over well. Then again, lying probably won't go over well either. "Yamato," he finally admits. "Lieutenant Zin Yamato."

As predicted, Cheng curls his upper lip in disgust. "You'd better be as good as you claim you are, flameo," he warns. Zin does not outwardly react to the slur, but Kiyi does, fists clenching at her sides like she wants to hit Cheng then and there. Xióng looks particularly murderous. Cheng, luckily, doesn't seem to notice. "C'mon. Let's get moving."

Kai's knees shake but he starts walking, Zin half a step behind him. He doesn't bother turning around because he knows that if he sees Cheng's gun or Jinora's wide eyes, he might start crying and he doesn't know if he'll be able to stop. He thinks of Yung, who had just recovered from a scare when Kai had been declared dead, and prays that he'll make it out of this situation alive and well.

When the three of them (four counting Fang) enter the operating room, Kai lets out a slow breath. He can do this. He'll fix the corporal and they'll all be able to get out of this alive. Before he or Zin can say something, there's a sharp knock at the window and Cheng snarls. The sergeant shoves Fang at Zin, who barely manages to catch the injured man in time, and stalks over to the window, yanking it up with such force that the glass almost breaks. "What is it, Major Iluak?"

"Just wondering if Captain Wen and Lieutenant Yamato need any supplies," says Korra. She sounds perfectly normal, like she has conversations with crazy men like Cheng every day. Just the sight of his commanding officer and friend makes Kai relax a little. "We haven't stocked the OR since yesterday."

Cheng turns to Kai. "Do you need any supplies?"

"No," Kai says, looking at Cheng but addressing Korra. "Should be a simple procedure. If necessary I'll ask."

"If he asks, he'd better receive," Korra says to Cheng. Beneath that calm exterior is a voice and spine of steel. "I know you want Corporal Fang to receive the best care possible."

Cheng just growls at her and slams the window down so hard that the glass rattles in the pane. Then he pulls the curtains shut over the window. "Women," he mutters under his breath before turning back to Kai and Zin, who's laid the injured corporal on an operating table. "Don't you need to get scrubbed up or something? I'm not letting you do this until you're cleaned up."

"We do," Zin finally says, swallowing slightly. "Um. The scrubs—our scrubs are in the next room, so—um, I'm going to have to—"

"Oh no you don't. How do I know that you won't try to run off?" Cheng motions at Kai, and the doctor wonders why in the world the sergeant is still holding the damn gun. Isn't his hand tired? "Go on, Doc. You've got two minutes to get what you need."

Kai considers running away for a split second but he instantly decides against it. He'd never do that to Zin, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he sent Jinora or Mako or Mitali to this clusterfuck of a situation. "Be right back."

Ninety seconds later, he returns with the scrubs and two pairs of surgical masks—they've still got a box of clean rubber gloves in the OR, so there's no need to grab extras from the scrubbing room—and is relieved to see that everyone in the room is still alive. Zin's decided to start gathering the IV lines and necessary equipment, and the nurse looks downright ecstatic to see that Kai's returned.

"You okay, man?" Kai mutters while he changes into his scrubs. He tries not to think about how he and Jinora usually zip each other up, because thinking of Jinora won't get him anywhere now. "Zin?"

"Yeah, m'fine." Zin finishes pulling on his pants and straightens his shirt slightly, which makes Kai smile a little. The man has always been a stickler for details. "Need help with the gloves, though."

"I'll do you if you do me."

"Save those comments for Jinora," Zin shoots back, and Kai can't hold back his grin.

They move to the sink in the corner—which reminds him, he'll have to ask Zhu Li to requisition a new one before next month so they'll get a good deal—and wash their hands thoroughly. Zin holds up his hands and Kai slides the gloves on one hand at a time. Once Kai washes his hands again, Zin does the same for him. Once they put on their surgical masks and tie them up tightly, they're ready to go.

Cheng, who's been sitting next to Fang, rises once he sees them approach. "Well?" he snaps. "You able to fix my friend or ain't you?"

"If possible, Sergeant Cheng, could you take off Corporal Fang's jacket and shirt? We don't want any fabric to get stuck in the wound." Kai tries to sound as brisk and professional as possible to avoid the sergeant's question. "We'll give your friend the best treatment we can."

This doesn't seem to appease Cheng, but he does as asked. Kai's just happy that he thought of asking Cheng to undress Fang because he's sure that if he or Zin did it, Cheng wouldn't be pleased. "Now what?"

"How long ago was the injury sustained? What's his blood type? Does he have any allergies?"

Cheng ponders Zin's questions while Kai sets up the IV line and gets their supplies ready. "This morning, I reckon," he answers. "Got into an altercation with an MP, and the bastard shot him from the front. His blood type's AB," thank Raava for small miracles, "and he's allergic to panda lilies. Any of that an issue?"

 _The only issue right now is that gun of yours_ , Kai thinks. He doesn't dare say that out loud. "No, that's all fine," is what comes out instead. "Zin, let's get started. What's the patient's blood pressure?"

"BP is sixty over diastolic."

Not good. He's going to have to give the last of their dopamine to the son of a bitch's friend. "Noted. Set up two sixteen-gage IVs. We're going to need dopamine and fluids. No blood transfusion yet, I want to see what we're dealing with here." Once that's done, he moves onto the next step. _Alright, now the ABCs_. "Check the throat."

Zin does. "Tongue isn't in the way, but there's a little blood—not bad," he hastily says, "not bad, just might have bitten his cheek at some point." Either way, he soaks up the little bit of blood with a piece of cloth and puts it aside. "Airway is clear and he's breathing."

 _Killed two birds with one stone there._ "How's the circulation?"

"Applying pressure-packs, but blood flow is still going strong. Pulse is twenty-five."

Well, at least Fang still has a pulse and he's breathing. No need for CPR, which is good. "D and E?"

"No spinal cord injury according to testimony, and there's an exit wound in the back. That's the only bullet wound, and it's in and out."

"Okay. Get an endotracheal tube and respirator set up and I'll get you a catheter. Gotta make sure he won't piss himself in the middle of surgery." The last part is more for Cheng's sake than Zin's, who clearly knows this information. "Go on."

Precious minutes tick by, and soon the dopamine and saline are coursing through Fang's veins. He's on a respirator and the endotracheal tube is expertly placed in the trachea through the mouth. BP is up and the catheter's inserted. The patient's out for the count with anesthesia and he's in the right position. They're ready for surgery. "Okay, exploratory laparotomy. Let's go, let's go."

"Ready when you are, Doctor."

Kai cleans the belly and makes an incision from the xiphoid to the pubic bone, inwardly wincing. It's hard to perform surgery when someone's glaring holes into the back of his head, but he'll do it anyway. He has to. "Mayo scissors."

"Mayo scissors." Zin passes him the scissors, and Kai takes a look at the orientation of the fibers on the linea alba. These are directed medically and inferiorly from either side, and he identifies the midline as the axis where they crisscross. With the Mayo scissors, he carefully opens it up.

"Careful with the intraperitoneal contents," Zin mutters.

"Duly noted. Forceps."

"Yes, Doctor."

Kai lifts the peritoneum with two straight artery forceps that are placed close to each other at right angles to the incision. He uses careful palpation to ensure that no bowel or omentum is picked up in the artery forceps, as that would send them up shit creek without a paddle. "Good."

"Major source of bleeding, Doctor."

Shit. The presence of blood within the peritoneum interferes with adequate exploration, so they're definitely screwed over unless he identifies the source. "Give me suction when I say and laparotomy pads." With no other choice, he lifts the small bowel and its mesentery out of the peritoneal cavity. "Suction." Zin rapidly suctions the blood within the peritoneum. "Laparotomy pads." The two of them place laparotomy pads in the four quadrants of the peritoneum. Once they finish that, Kai carefully removes each pad to allow inspection of each quadrant. "Looks good. What do you think?"

"Fine with me."

When Kai looks through the abdomen to identify the source of the bleeding, he nearly loses his lunch. The liver. Fang's been shot in the liver. _Oh no. No, no, no._ "Liver wound," he says in an undertone to Zin, whose eyes widen. The liver is highly vascularized and close to multiple large blood vessels. Luckily no major vessels have been severed, but the liver is oozing blood steadily and it's not easy to get it to stop. They can't do anything. "What should we do?"

"How much of it's destroyed?" Zin whispers, shining the light closer.

The question doesn't need answering. The military police tends to use shotguns, and if Fang had been wounded in a close range altercation that had resulted in this wound…Well, frankly it's a mystery how he'd even gotten to the 6152nd alive. The whole liver isn't destroyed, but they'll need a transplant and in this day and age they don't have the technology available. Fang is going to die. "Too much."

"Hey!" Kai nearly jumps out of his skin, having forgotten that Cheng was in the room for a moment. "What's the hold-up here?"

"There's been a complication." He immediately knows that that's the wrong thing to say when Cheng's gun makes a reappearance, but he strives to remain calm and somehow rectify this. "Your friend's been shot in the liver, and we don't have the medical technology to save him. Even if I had a whole team and wasn't in a war zone, I…" He gulps. "I'm sorry, we can't do anything."

Cheng doesn't say anything for several seconds. "That had better be a joke, Doc," he warns. "I'm not much of a joker but I'll make an exception for you."

Kai thinks of Yung, of Jinora, of his friends waiting outdoors with baited breath, and he lets out a shaky breath. If this is how he dies, at least he'll have a friend with him. And Jinora knows what she means to him. That's as good of luck as he can have. "It's not a joke, Sergeant," Kai says, feeling like he's laid the final nail in his coffin. "I'm sorry."

He's not sure how it happens, but one second Cheng is across the room with his gun out and the next second Cheng is on top of him, yelling angrily about traitors and broken promises. Kai tries to fight back but Cheng's bigger than him, stronger too, and he's got a shitload of rage backing up his actions whereas Kai only has exhaustion and apologies. He still gets off a good punch to the jaw, which just makes Cheng angry enough to knee Kai in the groin and throw off several punches to the gut. From his position, Kai can't do much more than shield his ribs and try to find an angle that he can get the upper hand in.

"Leave him alone!"

The blows stop. Kai remembers how to breathe, and Cheng looks away. On the table, Fang's chest rises and falls shakily. His vision is a little blurry but he's pretty sure that the nurse appears ready to go to blows himself on Kai's behalf.

"Leave him alone," Zin says, even more intense than before. His eyes are narrowed, his jaw is set and he looks downright dangerous. "We've done all we can to fix your friend and he sure as hell can't try to find a solution if you're beating the shit out of him. Like it or not, you need him, so you leave him be."

For a moment, it's a standoff, Cheng and Zin looking at each other, daring the other to speak first. Kai's heart beats in his chest so loudly that he's afraid he'll wake the corporal from his anesthesia-induced sleep. Then Cheng grins at Zin—more of a leer, really. It does nothing to ease Kai's nerves. "I do need him," he says, as though he's reached the conclusion all on his own. "But I don't need you."

Kai suddenly realizes what'll happen half a second before it does, but that isn't enough time to stop Cheng from pulling out his pistol and shooting Zin in the chest.

Zin staggers backwards almost in slow motion before he falls, nearly taking a chair down with him as he lands on the floor with a thud, unmoving.

Cheng is grinning like the owl-cat that ate the canary-mouse. The gun is still smoking as he puts it back in his holster.

Kai stares stupidly at his friend, vision tunneling and breath quickening because Spirits, it's Skoochy all over again and _I heard the bullet coming just like in the movers_ and his blood coagulates in his veins as he's catapulted back into his memories.

 _"Race you to postop," Skoochy says with a quicksilver grin, the last of the afternoon light gleaming against his dark bangs. "C'mon, Kai."_

 _Kai's too tired to reply. Instead, he continues to lie down on the hill, looking up at the clouds blowing through the sky. He'd spent the last few days in the operating room, dealing with an influx of wounded from the battles nearby. Half of the medical staff have collapsed from exhaustion by now, but not Skoochy. He thinks that Skoochy could keep going on being energetic until the end of time. "We don't have a shift for another two hours, Skooch," he points out. He intends to spend that time taking a nap, or at least resting his eyes until the next rush. "How come you aren't tired?"_

 _Skoochy shrugs, propped up on his elbows. "Been here long enough that insomnia's more common than taking a snooze, Kai," he says. "At this point I'm pretty sure I can amputate someone's leg in my sleep." He pauses. "Plus, the real world's always been more interesting to me than the one in my dreams."_

 _"Really? A dreamer like you?" Kai snorts, finding that hard to believe. Skoochy's face is serious, though, so he shakes off the exhaustion and exasperation hanging off his words. "How come?"_

 _"Dreams fade," Skoochy answers simply. A cloud shaped like Varrick's mustache floats by in the sky, and Kai can't be sure that he's not dreaming now. "I'd rather dare to live the life I've dreamed for myself. To go forward and make my dreams come true."_

 _"Wow," Kai says, playfully nudging Skoochy's shoulder with his hand. "You really are a writer."_

 _Skoochy's laugh seems to make the sun shine brighter, and Kai feels his fatigue fading. "So? Race you to postop?" He raises an eyebrow. "Unless you're afraid to lose, Wen."_

 _"In your dreams, Nakamura," Kai says. "You're on."_

 _They line up on the hill, so close to each other that Kai can smell their latest brand of moonshine on Skoochy's jacket. The sun's beating down on them, light wafting through the clouds, and Kai steels himself._

 _"On your mark, get set, go!"_

 _They're off the second the last syllable leaves Skoochy's lips, and Kai's arms windmill as he tries to keep his balance. Running downhill has always been a sort of thrill, the way that his legs jerk behind him slightly when they can't quite keep up with gravity. Skoochy's grinning, Kai's grinning, the wind's blowing, and it's a perfect day for a run._

 _The gunshot shatters the pristine silence of the moment, and Kai's more than twenty feet away before he realizes that Skoochy's not with him. Heart pounding, he turns around, and the sight of his best friend—his brother—lying motionless on the green grass with blood seeping from a hole in his back and his pageboy cap askew is not one that he will soon forget._

 _"Skoochy?" Kai sounds almost as frantic as he feels, and he turns the man over on his side. "Skoochy!"_

 _When Skoochy grins, his teeth are stained copper and Kai feels bile and fear and grief burning his throat. "I guess I was wrong," he says, like he's educating Kai on how to make moonshine or impress a pretty nurse. "Dreams are better than reality after all."_

"Now, Doc." Cheng is speaking. He's carrying Zin in his arms now. The nurse's head lolls as Cheng adjusts his grip and it makes Kai want to vomit. Zin's never this still, not even when he's asleep. It just looks _wrong_. Everything about this is wrong. "I'll be right back to tell Major Iluak what just transpired. Give you some time to look over Fang again. Thankfully I have my pick of the next nurse." Cheng pauses and shoots Kai a maniacal grin, like they're sharing an inside joke. "Hopefully she won't be so mouthy."

Kai's breathing quickens. Oh shit. He can only imagine how that'll go down. Korra will kill him if Cheng even insinuates Zin is dead, and Mitali— _Mitali_. What is Cheng going to tell Mitali? How is she going to react if he tells her that he had killed her boyfriend in cold blood? Zin had had family back in Capital City, family that Kai will have to write and tell about their relative's bravery.

Cheng finally leaves, and Kai pulls his knees up to his chest. Tears leak down his face and stain his surgical mask. The image of Zin falling is burned into the inside of his eyelids. "Zin," he mewls. "Spirits, Zin, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

It's not enough, though. It'll never be enough. The only acceptable revenge will be if he does to Cheng what Cheng had done to Zin.

So it's settled, then, he thinks. He's surprised at how calm he is at the notion. He'll finish working on Fang as best as he can, let him die in comfort and peace. Then he'll steal Cheng's gun and kill him.

* * *

By the time Cheng enters the OR again, Kai's imagined his friends' reactions to Zin's death ten different times. He hadn't been able to hear anything that went on, but he'd hoped that perhaps Korra had done him a favor and shot Cheng so Kai wouldn't have to. Unfortunately, Cheng is alive and well and still wearing that shit-eating grin of his when he saunters back into the room, and Kai has no choice but to go through with his plan.

Fang isn't doing well, not at all. The anesthesia hasn't worn off yet, but his eyes are scrunched up and there's a sheen of sweat decorating his face. Kai doubts he'll make it through the next ten minutes, and he silently injects a shot of morphine into the corporal's arm. That'll give Fang a painless way out of this world.

"Unfortunately, you're going to have to finish working without a nurse," Cheng is saying. Kai makes an effort to listen up. "Major Iluak wasn't too pleased with my actions and told me to go burn in hell when I asked for a new one. I didn't feel it appropriate to ask further."

 _So that's where Cheng draws the line._ Despite his disgust for the sergeant, Kai respects Korra for having the guts to tell him off. Good for her. "Hmm," he says. The grunt is to show that he's paying attention to both Cheng and Fang at the same time. Fang's heart rate and blood pressure is decreasing; he's dying now. Kai says a prayer under his breath, one that Yung had taught him when he'd been eleven or twelve, and wishes Fang a long and happy afterlife—one that Cheng hopefully won't participate in.

"Why so quiet?"

"Well," Kai says with careful patience, "I'm trying to help your friend here. Sometimes I have to be quiet while operating." He pauses, like he's mulling over something important. "I could use your help with something, though. Come over here, Sergeant."

Cheng snorts. "You know I ain't a doctor, right?"

"Do you have the ability to hold your friend's legs down or is that too much work for you?" Kai snaps. To be honest he's a little worried that the plan won't work and he'll have to find another way out, but lo and behold here comes the sergeant. Kai can breathe a little easier. "Thank you. Please hold down his legs."

Cheng does so. "Why do I have to?" he says with a pout, like this is extremely inconvenient for him. "Fang is asleep. He can't kick…" Then he looks over at Kai closely, who feels a prickle of worry go down his spine. Cheng's beating had most likely left him with bruised ribs (hopefully not broken ones) and it's honestly a struggle to stay upright. Kai's grip on the scalpel tightens as he controls his breathing. _In and out, in and out_... "What the fuck's wrong with you now?"

In answer, Kai collapses to the floor.

"Shit!" Cheng jumps backward for a moment in shock, and then he leans forward over Kai, his grin fading to a snarl. "Hey, you'd better get up or else—"

He doesn't get a chance to finish the sentence before Kai throws the scalpel at Cheng like a knife. Cheng howls in pain as the scalpel lodges in his shoulder, which is Kai's cue to leap to his feet and tackle the sergeant to the ground.

They wrestle each other, a contest of strength and brutality and anger, the latter of which Kai is winning this time. Cheng manages to punch Kai in the nose but Kai immediately returns the favor with an added knee to the gut.

"I trusted you!" Cheng yells, voice hoarse from the effort he's putting into the fight. "You said you'd fix my friend!"

"And you said you wouldn't hurt us," Kai shoots back. He gets off a good punch to the diaphragm that leaves Cheng gasping for air. "Promises tend to get broken in a war."

It's hard to get a good grip on Cheng's waist where the gun is, but eventually Kai manages to utilize the little combat training he's had and snatches the gun right out of the sergeant's holster. "Freeze, you son of a bitch," he growls, standing up and pointing the gun directly at Cheng's head.

Cheng slowly puts his hands up with a whimper. _Worthless piece of shit_ , Kai thinks, his grip on the gun never wavering. He clicks the safety off. "Hope you have fun in the Spirit World, motherfucker."

"Wait!" Cheng pleads, sniveling and begging. "Wait. Doc, come on. Please. Don't do this. I…I didn't mean to do that to you or the nurse, I just…I needed to help Fang. He's all I've got. H-haven't you ever been willing to do anything for someone you love?"

That gives him pause, if anything. It's true. He's always willing to do anything for someone he loves. Like Jinora. Or Yung. Or even Skoochy, when he'd still been alive. While Cheng's motives are inexcusable, at least Kai understands a little.

Kai almost pities him.

But not quite. In fact, not at all. Definitely not enough to rethink his actions. Sergeant Cheng of the New Freedom Fighters had killed Zin, had held Kai hostage, had ruined everyone's lives. That's inexcusable.

Maybe it's the pain from his ribs or the thoughts he'd temporarily lost himself in, but he doesn't react when Cheng leaps to his feet, quick as lightning, and manages to wrestle the gun out of Kai's hand and point it directly at his head. "I can't believe that actually worked," he says with a scoff. He puts his finger on the trigger. "Bye, Doc."

 _So this is it. This is the end._ Kai closes his eyes and thinks of Jinora, of her lips on his, her smile, her laugh, trying to conjure one last image of her to take with him when he dies, and the gun goes off.

* * *

The first thing that he realizes is that he's not dead. The second thing he realizes is that he's not in pain. The third thing he realizes is that he hasn't been hit.

He opens his eyes to see Cheng fall to the ground, dead with a bloody hole between his eyes, the ghost of his last snarl still on his lips. Then he looks to the door of the operating room, where he sees Mako standing with his own gun. "You okay?" the major asks breathlessly.

Kai can't help but stare like an idiot at Cheng's dead body on the floor. Dead. Finally dead after all of this time, after killing Zin and beating Kai and ruining the peace. And Mako had shot him—Mako, the straight-laced stiff career army surgeon, had shot him. He could get in a lot of trouble with I-Corps and the War Crimes Board for this, but Mako had still shot Cheng to save Kai. He'd put aside his career to save Kai's life. "Yeah," he finally replies, throat tight. "Nice shot, Mako."

"Thanks, kid." Mako looks past him, brows furrowing with an expression akin to sorrow. "The corporal?"

He wonders if I-Corps or the War Crimes Board or the commanders of the United Forces can legally go after him for letting his patient die—oh Raava, does this count as medically assisted suicide? Is that legal in the United Republic?—and then he pushes the thought aside. This isn't the right time to worry; he needs to see Jinora and then get some medical attention for his ribs. Preferably in that order. "Dead," he says. "Gunshot wound to the liver."

Mako exhales. Then he puts his pistol back in his holster and moves forward, clapping Kai on the shoulder. "C'mon, Kai," he says. "Let's get you out of here."

When they finally manage to get out of the OR, no mention is made of any of the gunshots. Kai just grins at the stunned members of the 6152nd, knowing that he must look like shit, all bloody and covered in bruises and breathing heavily. Korra in particular looks like she's seen a ghost. "Hey," he says, unable to hide his exhaustion. "I'm okay."

Jinora is the first one to reach him, and Kai barely has the chance to inhale and brace himself before she tackles him in a hug so powerful that it nearly sends him flying. They're both saying each other's names over and over again and his eyes well up with tears because Spirits, he'd really thought he'd never see her again, and she's here, she's real and she isn't going anywhere. Jinora finally stops talking for a brief moment, so he cups her face in his hands and kisses her.

It can't even be described as a kiss—their tongues are working around each other and their teeth are clacking together and Kai's slowly running out of oxygen but he doesn't want to pull away. When he finally does for need of air, he just stares at her. Jinora looks tired, with messy hair and dark circles under her eyes and red-rimmed eyes and blood caked under her fingernails, but she's the most beautiful sight he's ever seen.

"I love you," he finds himself saying.

Her eyes widen and then she beams at him, relieved tears leaking down her cheeks. "I love you too," she whispers, and her words bring a genuine smile to his face unlike any other. "Oh Spirits, Kai, I love you so much."

He'd gladly keep kissing her and telling her that he loves her all day, but her hug and his fight with Cheng has definitely messed up his ribs and it's affecting his breathing now. "I'm sorry," he mumbles. He's going to pass out soon unless he can get some medical attention. "Spirits, Jin, I'm sorry."

"What?" Jinora's brow furrows. "What are you talking about, Kai? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I couldn't…" He inhales sharply. Is it just him or is there less oxygen in the air than usual? "Couldn't save…"

"Kai? Kai, are you okay?" Now Jinora sounds frantic, much like he imagines he did when she'd gotten shot. "Korra! Korra, help me, I think Kai's hurt, he's having trouble breathing—"

"Kai, I need you to take a deep breath for me and hold it—"

"It'll all be okay, just hold on while we get you treated—"

"Kai?"

If possible, that voice makes Kai's vision tunnel further. "Oh," he says, swaying slightly. "I've died. That's inconvenient."

And then he faints.

* * *

The first thing Kai realizes is the headache. It feels like his first hangover, like a cacophony of sledgehammers are banging on the inside of his skull to the tune of the national anthem, and he grits his teeth together trying to avoid thinking about it.

The second thing he realizes is that he can _breathe._ He's not gasping for air anymore, and he can feel the smoothness of the compression wraps wrapped around his midsection that are helping to splint and immobilize the area. His entire body is cool, and the pain he'd felt during his fight with Cheng is all but a memory. He must be on some good pain medication.

The third thing he realizes is that he's no longer outdoors. The familiar scent of antiseptic and the slightly rough pillows under his head mean that he's in postop, probably on a cot away from the other soldiers. His time as a hostage is over and he's safe and recovering.

The hostage situation.

 _Zin staggers backwards almost in slow motion before he falls, nearly taking a chair down with him as he lands on the floor with a thud, unmoving._

He opens his eyes and props himself up on his elbows, his heart rate slowing slightly as he catches a glimpse of Jinora. "Hey," she says, like they've run into each other at the supermarket or something. There's curtains drawn around the area near his cot, so they're alone. "How are you feeling?"

Kai tries to speak but it sounds like he's speaking around a mouthful of sandpaper. "M'ribs," he eventually gets out. "Wh-what happened?"

"When you and Cheng were in a fight, a lot of punches got thrown," Jinora replies. She takes his hand in hers and it makes him feel better just to touch her. "He fractured two of your ribs, so Korra and I gave you compression wraps and waited for your breathing to ease up. You'll have to take it easy for the next six weeks or so." Her voice shakes a little. "Raava, Kai, I'm so glad you're okay. When I heard the gunshots in there, I thought…"

A lump forms in his throat. Taking it easy for six weeks is a small price to pay considering that he's still alive and Zin is probably resting in the morgue. "M'fine, Jin," he assures her. "Where's Mitali?"

Jinora wipes her eyes. "She's with Zin now—hasn't left his side since Cheng brought him out." Suddenly her eyes widen and her jaw drops, and she stands up so quickly that she almost overturns her chair. He can almost see the gears working furiously in her head. "Wait. You don't know about Zin yet, do you?"

Something delicate inside him falls from a high edge and shatters. "What do you mean?"

In answer to his question, Jinora disappears. He can hear her talking to someone ten feet away, and then there's the sound of two pairs of footsteps and the echo of a crutch against the wooden floor. Kai's breath stops as three people enter his little area—Jinora, with an apologetic smile on her face; Mitali, with red-rimmed eyes, and Zin, with bandages wrapped around his shoulder but looking just as alive as ever.

"You're alive." Even in his shocked state Kai's aware that he sounds like an idiot. "But—but I thought—I saw Cheng shoot you. I thought you were dead."

"Yes to the first, no to the second," Zin says wryly. How he's alive and well is a mystery to Kai, but he's not about to question miracles. "He shot me in the shoulder and I passed out. When I woke up again, I was outside and Mitali and Jinora were applying pressure."

"You were lucky," Mitali replies. She sounds about as steady as Kai feels. "An inch or two lower and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Hey." Zin adjusts the position of his crutch so he can take Mitali's hand in his and kiss it. "I'm fine, Mitali, I promise." His lips press together as he looks at Kai. "I'm sorry I didn't do more to help you, Kai."

Kai is more bewildered than anything now. "Are you kidding? You saved my life! Who knew how long Cheng would've…" He hesitates and decides that now isn't the right time to reveal the nature of his fight with Cheng. His jaw works noiselessly for a moment before he manages to say, "I'm just glad you're okay."

"And I'm glad you're okay too." Zin inhales slightly. "Is it bad that I'm glad Cheng and Fang are dead?"

Kai snorts. "No," he says. "I'm glad they're gone too." Gone from this world, yes, but he has a feeling the two New Freedom Fighters will haunt his and Zin's memories for a while to come. He and Zin will have to appear on trial and testify once their injuries have healed. It's not over yet.

But then he thinks of Jinora and Mitali and Korra and the others, of how they hadn't written him and Zin off once Cheng had taken them hostage, of how Mako had killed Cheng to save him, and he relaxes marginally.

With his friends at his side, Kai thinks he'll be alright.


	13. The Price of War

_The songs used in this chapter are "I Don't Want No More of Army Life", written by Lead Belly and released in 1944, as well as "Flip, Flop, and Fly", written by Big Joe Turner in 1955 and covered by Ellis Hall in 2000. I own no part of either._

* * *

Jinora's never spent winter in the Earth Kingdom before and as the end of the year draws nearer, she starts to miss Republic City's winters even more. Here there's no snow but it's freezing every day. Her spit solidifies into ice before it hits the ground. They've had to deal with more cases of frostbite and hypothermia than bullet wounds as of late, and Zhu Li spends hours bargaining with I-Corps and Ba Sing Se HQ for the necessary winter equipment that they don't yet have. I-Corps had come down to investigate the death of Sergeant Cheng and Corporal Fang—as well as to interrogate Kai and Zin if Fang had died from his wound or from medically assisted suicide—but nothing had come out of the investigation other than monetary compensation and a few awkward apologies. It's been quiet since then, which she's beyond grateful for.

They're all in surgery now, trying to stitch up wounds with numb fingers and even number hearts. Bolin's working as a nurse today because Kiyi's got a cold, and Jinora's lost track of the number of injured men and women that have come through today. No casualties, thank Raava, but the amount of blood and gore and patients sobbing for their mothers can get to her even after eight months here.

"I want an hourly report on that arterial transplant patient," she says to Xióng, whose hands are shaking as she helps Corporal Tikka place the injured man onto a gurney. "We're going to need to set up a watch shift in case he relapses."

"Yes, Doctor."

Zhu Li walks in and grabs a leftover surgical mask from Sora's station, placing it over her mouth. Korra's drilled it all into them to do this so the operating room can be more sanitary and so the patients won't accidentally contract pneumonia from a rogue cough. "Major Iluak?" she says, waiting patiently for Korra to give the sergeant her full attention. "Major, we just got a radio message from Nurse Saki."

Jinora's brows furrow and she turns to ask Kai who that is before she remembers that he's on the opposite side of the room with Opal. She decides to ask Xióng instead. "What's a Nurse Saki?" She uses 'what' instead of 'who' because for all she knows Nurse Saki could be a code and not a person.

Xióng giggles. "Person, not a code," she says. Mitali, who's working nearby with Zin, leans in closer to hear. "Satomi Saki's her full name, but everyone calls her Nurse Saki. She runs a civilian orphanage about thirty miles north of here."

"She says they're being shelled," Zhu Li is saying to Korra, who looks solemn beneath her surgical mask. "Apparently it's been going on for the last several hours and they've got to evacuate."

"Spirits," Bolin says under his breath. "Those poor kids."

"Happened last year too," Xióng says to a clueless Jinora and Mitali. "They ended up bunking with us through the holidays. It was kinda nice; the kids were adorable."

"Nurse Saki says she usually wouldn't be asking because they've got a new evacuation order to go to Tianjiao now, but this time is different," Zhu Li says. "Apparently she's got a woman who's going to have a baby any day now and Saki didn't think that she'd be able to make the trip."

That cinches it for Korra, who nods once and as soon as she's finished with her patient, she starts talking again. "Zhu Li, tell Nurse Saki that it's fine for her and the kids to come on by." Zhu Li salutes her and runs off. "Corporal Tikka!" The woman in question looks over from where she's standing by the door with Sergeant Kuji, organizing the gurney patrol. "Corporal, I need you to organize a detail. Sergeant Kuji, break out the extra cots, blankets, pillows, whatever we need. I want these kids to be as comfortable as possible." As Kuji and Tikka leave, Korra addresses the rest of the room. "Alright, everybody, we're getting company from the orphanage. I'm sure it won't be a problem but I want everyone to be on their best behavior. Understood?"

Salutes and affirmations ripple across the room. "Understood."

"Good. When we're finished I want everyone to go set up your tents for the kids. See Corporal Tikka or Zhu Li for details." Finished with her speech, Korra turns back to Mako and the two of them continue working on their patient.

After two more hours of surgery and one hour of helping organize the unit for the arrival of Nurse Saki and her orphans, Jinora finds herself in the mess tent with Opal, Bolin, and Kai. Mitali, Zin, Mako, and Kiyi had been invited to join them but all four of them had declined because they had had to go to their postop shifts. She puts her hands around her coffee cup to warm them up a little, hating the Earth Kingdom winter a little more every time someone walks in with a cold breeze accompanying them.

"It'll be good to see the kids again," Opal says after the conversation starts meandering away from home and their mutual dislike of the cold. "I just wish it wasn't under these circumstances."

"Tell me about it." Bolin shakes his head wearily. "Like, the New Freedom Fighters had good intentions in the beginning—after Queen Hou-Ting died the entire country was such a shitshow, remember?—but bombing orphanages? Who _does_ that?"

Jinora remembers the beginning of the war, back when she'd still been completing her residency in Republic City and had begun to accept her forced engagement to Akash. Back then, all the newspapers had talked about was the land gained and lost and how President Akiyama was failing as the leader of the United Republic. Not once had the war orphans been mentioned, and she feels horrible for not sparing them a thought before. "How many of them are there?"

Kai scrunches up his face in thought. "Maybe twenty?"

"No, it's more than that," Bolin tells him. "Remember the last time they came? When Varrick was losing his mind about not having enough beds for thirty extra people and he apologized to Nurse Saki about a hundred times?"

"Right, you're right." To Jinora, he says, "Last year it was closer to thirty kids but now it's probably more, considering how intense the damn war's gotten. And Saki's got a pregnant girl this time too. Poor kids."

Jinora wonders if the baby's father will also be with Nurse Saki and the kids but decides not to voice it out loud. It's none of her business. "How long do the kids usually stay? Xióng was saying that last year it was all through the holidays."

"Yeah, that's right. Good times. We all exchanged presents on Wanmas and the kids were so surprised that they got to keep the blankets and toys. One of them gave me a drawing of the camp, I think I've still got it somewhere." Kai smiles at the thought. "What'd you do for Wanmas last year, Jin?"

She looks down at her hands. "I'm, uh—I don't celebrate Wanmas. I'm Raavanist, actually. Comes with the whole Air Nomad thing." Even though it's been years since the Hundred Years War and the antiRaavanism around the world has decreased significantly, she still doesn't feel comfortable talking about her faith or her heritage. Not when the Air Nomads had been slated for genocide by the Fire Nation all because of what they'd believed; not when only one percent of the world practices Raavanism and the few Air Nomads that are left have either assimilated into other cultures or don't practice their faith altogether.

"Oh." Kai doesn't ask her why she practices her faith or other invasive questions and it makes her love him even more. "Sorry, this is going to sound really stupid, but what do you celebrate instead? Is it a different holiday altogether?"

"It's…" She glances over at Opal and Bolin, both of whom look interested. "Well, the only equivalent to Wanmas I can think of is Xiébō Shōuliǎn—that's when we celebrate the Harmonic Convergence and it's in the spring. It's really important. But this month the only holiday we have is Dìbātiān de Jùhuì," Bolin and Kai make a noise of recognition, "which is important but, uh, not quite as important as most Avatarists think it is. Thousands of years ago, there was a war between some Air Nomads and…" She winces. "And some Earth Kingdom people. The Earth Kingdom people desecrated one of our temples and Dìbātiān de Jùhuì celebrates that we got back on our feet and rededicated the temple instead of giving up."

Opal furrows her eyebrows. "Isn't there something about lighting candles?" At Jinora's surprised look, she adds, "I've got a little Air Nomad in me on my dad's side, and he used to tell me stories about the Raavanist holidays when I was a kid."

Well, that's unexpected. "Uh, yeah. Well, technically it's lighting lamps, not candles, but you've got the general gist of it. We light lamps and make offerings and pray for those that were lost in the war."

Opal snaps her fingers. "Yeah! That's right." She looks like she wants to keep the conversation going, but when she catches a glimpse of Bolin's watch her face falls. "Damn, I've got to go and relieve Zin. Kai, are you ready to relieve Mitali?"

"I'm not set to replace her for another two minutes, I'll stick around for now." Kai grins at Opal's look of fond exasperation. "Okay, fine, I'm going, I'm going." He rises from the table, steps around the bench and turns to Jinora. Opal kisses Bolin on the cheek and heads out. "I'll see you in a bit, okay?"

"I'll be by for my postop shift in an hour," she says without even bothering to restrain her smile. "Lovely seeing you, Captain Wen."

Kai takes her hand and presses a kiss to it. They've known each other for eight months and have been together for three of those months, but somehow whenever he does this, she blushes uncontrollably. "You as well, Captain Gyatso, you as well."

* * *

Jinora's shift in postop doesn't last very long, as halfway through Zhu Li rushes in to inform everyone that Nurse Saki and the kids have arrived. Despite the hours of meatball surgery they'd all been treated to earlier, the patients that they have in postop are mostly self-sufficient and therefore the doctors and nurses are allowed to briefly leave in order to greet the new arrivals.

Zhu Li leads the medical staff to the parking area, where a large truck sits between two military jeeps. Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji are helping get the kids out of the back of the truck. Her breath catches in her throat because _Spirits_ , there's so many of them. More than twenty, more than thirty, boys and girls of all ages. They're bundled up in the warmest clothing they've got, which for some of them is nothing more than rags. Jinora spots Kai with Korra and another bundled-up person that she doesn't know, and goes over to introduce herself.

"It's good to see you, Satomi," Korra is saying, and she claps Nurse Saki on the shoulder with a grin. "Hope the ride over here was alright."

"Oh, yes, just fine." Nurse Saki looks to be in her late forties or early fifties, with streaks of gray in her otherwise brown hair and laugh lines around her eyes. She's wearing an overcoat and a furry hat and looks nothing but grateful to be standing in the cold at the 6152nd. "Can you believe they're bombing us again?"

"War's no fun if you don't bomb orphans," Kai says.

Nurse Saki lets out a laugh of agreement. "I see you're still a charmer, Captain Wen." She gives him a weary smile and then turns to Korra again. "I hear congratulations are in order for you, Major Iluak, though there's probably some condolences that need to be exchanged first. How's Sergeant Moon? I know she and Colonel Varrick were real close."

"Thanks, Satomi." Korra sighs. "Yeah, it's been hard for her, for all of us, but it's gotten better. Bolin—I don't remember if you met him or not, he's our camp psychiatrist and he's honestly been a blessing to have to talk to."

"I did meet him, yes, but only briefly. Hopefully I'll have a chance to sit down and talk with him this time." Nurse Saki takes notice of Jinora standing by Kai's side and extends her hand. "I'm Satomi Saki; I don't think we've been introduced."

"I'm Jinora Gyatso," she says, taking Nurse Saki's hand and shaking it quickly. "It's nice to meet you, Nurse Saki, I've heard a lot about you."

"Jinora's our new chest surgeon," Kai explains. "Skoochy…um." He inhales sharply. Even after so long Jinora knows it hurts him to talk about his fallen friend. "Skoochy got killed not long after you were here last."

Nurse Saki makes a noise of sympathy and surprise, covering her mouth with one hand for a moment. "I'm so sorry," she finally says. "I heard something about a doctor getting killed 'round here but I kept assuming it was Colonel Varrick—oh, Kai, I'm sorry." She gives him a hug, which it seems like they both need. When she pulls back, Jinora notices that both of their eyes are watery. "So you're Skoochy's replacement, ma'am?"

"Yes, and so far it seems like I've been up to par." Jinora feels horrible about what she's said almost the second that the words leave her mouth. "Shit—I'm sorry, that was so insensitive, I'm—"

She's cut off by Nurse Saki laughing. It's nothing more than a chuckle and it doesn't last long but it still makes Jinora blush. "You've got spunk, ma'am. I approve. And I'm sure you've more than been up to par." To Kai, she says, "And judging by those lovestruck eyes of yours I'm going to venture a cautious guess that you're together."

"Yes, we are," Kai says, taking Jinora's hand. Three months ago such a gesture would've been impossible, and eight months ago she'd never known she'd needed it. But now it makes her feel safe. "For the last three months. We're just waiting on…well, parental approval."

"Which I'm sure you'll get," Nurse Saki says easily.

Korra, who had disappeared briefly with Zhu Li to check on the kids, returns with Mitali and Kiyi. "I've got two volunteers here to help with getting the kids sorted," she says before disappearing again. Apparently Mako had required her help with something.

Nurse Saki shakes her head. "I hope she never changes," she says. "Lieutenant Nakahara, good to see you! I like your hair." Kiyi touches her twin pigtails with a self-conscious smile. "And I don't think I've met you yet—are you Colonel Varrick's replacement?"

"Yes ma'am, that's me. I'm Mitali Hema." Mitali shakes Nurse Saki's hand, and the five of them make their way around to the back of the truck, where there are still fifteen or so kids sitting and chattering with each other. "Is this your whole bunch?"

"All except our mother-to-be. We dropped her off down the road to visit her in-laws, but she'll be along shortly." Nurse Saki opens up her arms and catches a little boy no older than three, bringing him to the ground with a grunt. "Ooh, Oyaji, you're getting big, huh."

Oyaji beams. "I'm gonna be four soon," he informs Kiyi, who looks beyond charmed. "Then I'm gonna be big and strong and beat up the bad guys!"

"I bet you are," Kiyi says, kneeling down so she's eye to eye with him. "I like your doll."

"Thank you." Oyaji looks down at his knees, rocking side to side. The adrenaline rush of speaking to a stranger has worn off, leaving him nothing but shyness.

Another boy jumps out of the back of the truck. He looks to be about five or six, and Jinora bets that he's Oyaji's older brother or cousin. Her suspicions are confirmed when the boy walks over to Oyaji and Kiyi, placing a protective arm around the younger boy. "Come on, Oyaji, we gotta see the doctors."

It's only then that Jinora notices Oyaji's arm is in a sling, and the other boy's got a still-bleeding cut on his cheek. In fact, all of the children have injuries of some kind—no gunshot wounds, thank Raava, but these kids have injuries that no other kids should have and it makes her even angrier at the war.

"I can take the both of you to postop," Kiyi is saying. If she's as shaken by their injuries as Jinora is, she's not showing it. "I can even give the both of you a checkup—I'm a nurse. You can call me Kiyi."

"I'm Oyaji," says Oyaji. "And this is my big brother Rohi." Rohi nods tightly but doesn't say anything.

"Oyaji, Rohi, you two can go along with Nurse Kiyi, I'll be there soon." Nurse Saki musses Oyaji's hair and squeezes Rohi's shoulder. Oyaji takes Kiyi's hand and the three of them walk together to postop. Mako, from where he's talking to Korra, watches them go with an indecipherable expression. "Mei, YinLi, come here, you're going to be going with this nice man…"

Once they get all of the kids out of the truck and into postop, Jinora scrubs up and joins the other medical staff in giving the kids checkups. Sudhir, one of the older boys, cheekily asks Mako for a few coins in the middle of his examination, and Mako practically empties his wallet for Sudhir and several of the other kids before Nurse Saki scolds the children for scamming. Oyaji and Rohi seem to have warmed up to Kiyi, who treats them to stories about her childhood in Capital City while she checks Rohi's reflexes. Sora bonds with a seven year old girl who shares her name. Xióng excitedly tells the older orphan girls about her relationship with Captain Tran. Mai and Zin help distract a scared set of twins while Mitali checks them for an infection.

"How'd he lose his leg?" Bolin asks, looking rather concerned at the amount of fear the boy has for him.

"Oh, they pick up shells to sell for brass." Nurse Saki exhales through her nose and envelops the little boy in a hug. He cuddles close to her. "Once in a while they get a live one."

Bolin curses under his breath, and Opal has to leave the room for several minutes.

Jinora's patient, YinLi, is fourteen years old and according to Nurse Saki, hasn't said a word since her mother died six months ago. It's a bit hard to treat her when she won't speak but Jinora manages; far be it from her to force the girl out of her comfort zone. Kai's patient is a bit more talkative but she's missing an arm and a leg and walks with the aid of a crutch. Korra and Nurse Saki and Zhu Li walk around from orphan to orphan, taking inventory of the situation and introducing themselves.

 _So this is the price of war,_ she thinks. _Who gives a damn about losing land when these kids have lost their limbs and their families? How can the generals still support the war while knowing this is going on?_

They hold dinner in the Officer's Club that night, and the kids practically devour all of the food set in front of them, asking for second and even third helpings. Their eagerness puts an end to Kai and Mako's routine complaining about the quality of the food. Mitali chats with Nurse Saki about what it's like to run an orphanage, a discussion that only gets broken up when she snatches a pack of bubble gum away from Mai.

"Sorry," Nurse Saki says sheepishly, giving it back to the startled nurse. "You can chew it, just please don't blow any bubbles. It scares the kids. Makes 'em think your stomach's coming out."

"Oh." Mai puts the pack of gum away, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I…uh. Never mind."

Once dinner is finished—and there's nothing left for the first time in the history of the 6152nd—Zhu Li gets the idea to turn on the jukebox and let the kids have fun. Much to everyone's surprise, even Nurse Saki's, it works. Oyaji and Rohi lead a group of kids in a dance, and Kiyi drags Mako onto the dance floor to copy it. Mitali and Kai sing along with a few Earth Kingdom songs, and when _The Girls of Ba Sing Se_ comes on, Sudhir cries from laughter at Kai's falsetto imitation of the lead singer. Mai and Sora and Xióng take a few of the girls that don't want to sing or dance and teach them some new hairstyles and makeup tips.

"Thanks so much for letting us stay here, Major Iluak," Jinora hears Nurse Saki say to Korra. "May Raava and the Avatar bless you."

"You and the kids are more than welcome here," Korra says, shrugging off the praise. "Though as much as we love seeing you I wish it weren't just 'cause the orphanage got bombed. Are you going to be okay traveling to Tianjiao? I can get you a military escort."

"I think we'll be okay, ma'am, but thank you." Then Nurse Saki leans in close, and Jinora sits down at the table to hear the conversation. "Have you heard that the war's close to being over?"

Korra doesn't even perk up. "The generals have been saying that for nearly three years now, Satomi. What makes this time any different?"

"It's different because it's true! Hotah Deng and President Akiyama enter the peace talks in three weeks, at the start of the new year. Neither side wants to fight now that the war has gotten so much backlash from the civilians, when it's ruined so many lives. We are near the end, I can feel it." Nurse Saki's words are so passionate that Jinora finds herself believing them. Could these peace talks actually help the two sides reach an armistice? There hadn't even been a temporary truce since the Earth Day Celebrations. "Have hope, Korra."

Korra sighs. "I'm hopeful, Satomi, trust me. I just don't know if it'll do me any good."

Before Nurse Saki can speak again, the music from the jukebox comes to a halt. The kids stop dancing once they realize that it's stopped, and confused murmurs ring across the room. Sergeant Kuji abandons Corporal Tikka on the dance floor and moves to check on the jukebox. "Blew a fuse, Captain Lieng," he says to Bolin. "Might take a while for this to get fixed."

"That's alright." Bolin grins and claps his hands together, and his exuberance seems to fuel the kids as well. In another life, he could have been a great mover actor. "Corporal Tikka, my lady, if you could pull out the piano so we can keep the music going, that would be much appreciated."

"Sure thing, Captain Lieng."

Bolin sits down on the piano bench and cracks his knuckles with a flourish. "I may not be as good as the jukebox, but I can play a few songs. Any requests?"

Rohi raises his hand, and Bolin calls on him. "Can you do that army song about how you guys don't want to be here either?"

Jinora knows exactly which song he means, and thankfully so does Bolin. He and Corporal Tikka play it at least once a month and like to make up lyrics that fit their situations. Korra salutes Bolin as if to say _go ahead_ and he sends off a salute right back before he starts playing the introduction.

"The biscuits in the Army, they say are mighty fine," he sings, "one rolled right off the table, and killed a pal of mine."

"Oh, I don't want no more of Army life," Rohi and Oyaji sing. "Gee, Ma, I wanna go home."

Mei rises to her feet. When the music hits, she sings, "They say that in the Army, the pay is pretty great. They give you fifty yuans and take back forty-eight."

YinLi and Sudhir high five her and Mei leads the orphans in singing, "Oh, I don't want no more of Army life. Gee, Ma, I wanna go home."

Once they get past all of the scripted verses—and Jinora thanks Raava that Bolin had had the sense to take out the bit about prostitutes—it's time for improvisation. As usual when it comes to this sort of thing, Bolin takes the lead. "A shrink in the Army, he works through sun and rain. If you don't listen to him, you'll all wind up insane."

That entices several giggles from Nurse Saki and the orphans, and Bolin plays the piano for all of the officers and enlisted men while they sing the chorus: "Oh, I don't want no more of Army life. Gee, Ma, I wanna go home."

Kai slings an arm around Mako, and the two of them sway back and forth while singing, "Oh, the doctors in the Army, they say we're pretty bright—"

"We work on soldiers through the day and nurses through the night." Jinora and Mitali's interruption causes everyone to start laughing again, and Mitali winks at Zin, who blows her a kiss.

"Oh, I don't want no more of Army life," everyone sings in time to Bolin's piano playing, and this time they've got half the Officer's Club to join in. "Gee Ma, I wanna go home."

During the chorus the nurses have apparently decided that they need to sing a verse, and when they do, it brings down the house. "The surgeons in the army, their brains are real profound, but we'll take chopper pilots, they'll get you off the ground!" Much to everyone's surprise, Kiyi smiles at Mako as if to say _no hard feelings_ , and Mako looks positively smitten.

"Oh, I don't want no more of Army life. Gee Ma, I wanna go home."

Corporal Tikka staggers to the front of the room, pulling Zhu Li, Sergeant Kuji and Private Akuyama with her. Even though she's clearly not sober, the four of them carry a good tune as they sing their improvised verse of the song. "The corpsmen in the army, you say we're really green. But if it weren't for us guys and gals you'd be in the latrine."

Sergeant Igoru wolf-whistles and Sergeant Kuji takes a bow. The people in the mess tent sing the chorus, this time with laughter mingling with their enthusiasm. Even the orphans are getting in on it, singing and clapping to the beat. Oyaji and Rohi are singing louder than everyone, and Nurse Saki's smiling wider than ever. "Oh, I don't want no more of Army life. Gee Ma, I wanna go home."

Kai plops himself down on the piano bench next to Bolin, and the two of them whisper for a few seconds before Bolin snickers and claps Kai on the back. "Cover your ears, kids," Bolin says to the orphans, and Nurse Saki raises an eyebrow. "Somewhat inappropriate next verse, ma'am, sorry."

"Oh, alright. I forgive you this once." Her curiosity prevails, and Nurse Saki tells the youngest orphans to cover their ears. Many of them do, but the older ones like YinLi and Sudhir don't.

"The generals in the army, they're really full of pluck," Bolin and Kai sing, "If they think war's so damn terrific, why don't I give a fuck?"

This elicits the largest round of laughter yet, and the applause from the men and women stuffed in the mess tent nearly shakes the ground. Jinora's collapsed on Mitali's shoulder laughing, and even Zhu Li seems to find their improvised verse hilarious. "Oh, I don't want no more of Army life. Gee Ma, I wanna go, but they won't let me go. Gee Ma, I wanna go home."

Sergeant Kuji jerks away from the jukebox and beams at everyone. "I've got it!"

The children cheer and Mei rushes to the front of the group to request the song that she wants. The music starts, but the lyrics sputter out after about five seconds so all they're left with is the karaoke version. Jinora's about to ask Kai if he or Bolin know the song so they can play it on the piano, but Sudhir settles the problem for all of them and starts singing.

"When I get the blues, gonna get me a rockin' chair," he sings, and his voice is low and smooth and perfect and the kids whistle and cheer because clearly this is not his first time singing for their entertainment. Mei beams at him and he flushes but keeps on going. "When I get the blues, gonna get me a rockin' chair."

"Isn't he great?" Nurse Saki says to a shocked-looking Korra. "I don't know where this talent of his came from but I hope it never leaves him."

"Here comes my baby, flashing a new gold tooth. Here comes my baby, flashing a new gold tooth." While Sudhir sings, the orphans start dragging the medical staff and corpsmen onto the dance floor so they can enjoy the music and dance along to it. "She's so small she can mambo in a payphone booth."

Kai extends his hand to Jinora. "May I have this dance, Captain Gyatso?"

"You may, Captain Wen."

"Well, flip, flop, fly, I don't care if I die." Mei joins Sudhir in singing the chorus. Kai twirls Jinora around on the dance floor while the saxophone and trumpets reach a crescendo on the jukebox. "Flip, flop, fly, I don't care if I die. Don't ever leave me, don't ever say goodbye."

"Give me one last kiss; hold it a long, long time." Everyone joins in on this verse, as it's the most famous one—Jinora remembers that it had been in at least two Ginger Zhang movers and four radio dramas. "Well, hold that kiss 'til I feel it in my head like wine, so fine, so glad that you're mine. Flip, flop, fly, I don't care if I die. Flip, flop, fly, I don't care if I die."

"Like an old lil' bullfrog sittin' on a hollow stump." Now Nurse Saki's gotten into it, and she's dancing with YinLi and little Sora and several other kids at once. Mai and Sora are giggling uncontrollably as they twirl each other around, and Jinora giggles when Sora presses a kiss to Mai's cheek and the Fire Nation nurse starts blushing uncontrollably. "Like an old lil' bullfrog sittin' on a hollow stump, I got so many women I dunno which way to jump."

"You know," Kai says to Jinora as they dance together, his cheeks flushed with laughter, "I didn't imagine that this was how my evening was going to go."

"Me either," she says.

"Still fun though, right?"

"Oh, Raava, yes."

"Now when I get lonesome I get on the telephone," Sudhir sings, and the orphans all join in for the final verse. There's no one left sitting down; everyone is singing and dancing or attempting to dance to the beat and Jinora hasn't had this much fun in what seems like ages. "Now when I get lonesome I get on the telephone. Well, I call my baby, tell her I'm on my way back home."

Just as the chorus ends and everyone starts to applaud for Sudhir, the door to the Officer's Club crashes open to reveal a girl no more than eighteen, holding her stomach while her face is scrunched up with pain. By the time it clicks for Jinora that there's red seeping through the girl's fingers, Sergeant Kuji's turned off the jukebox and Nurse Saki and Korra have pushed through the crowd to get to the girl.

"Sung-Lee!" Nurse Saki's voice is high-pitched and more frantic than Jinora's ever heard her. "Sung-Lee, what happened?"

"New Freedom Fighters," Sung-Lee whispers. "Got shot. Haru stayed with his family to protect them and told me to run. Nurse Saki, help me oh Raava it _hurts_ —"

"We're here to help you, honey, it's alright," Korra says gently. To the others, she says, "We need to get her into surgery immediately. The baby's on its way whether it likes it or not."

 _So much for a relaxing evening._

* * *

"She took a bullet through the lower abdomen," Kai says after finishing his examination. Sung-Lee is moaning and she's gotten paler every minute that they've been in here. Jinora's itching to start operating on this girl but knows that they have to wait until they know the situation. They've all scrubbed up and are sterile but Sung-Lee doesn't look any less afraid. Nurse Saki's by her side holding her hand and whispering platitudes. "There's an exit wound, thank the Spirits, and from what I can see no remains. What's the BP, Korra?"

"Eighty over forty. Baby's heartbeat is audible, it's ninety." Shit. That's low, but at least it's there. "We've got to get in there and see what's bleeding and then do a Caesarian section, otherwise we'll lose them both."

Nurse Saki's jaw tightens. "We can't have that. Captain Wen, what do you think?"

"I think it's the only thing to do," Kai says following a moment's hesitation. "Korra, pump in some more plasma and let's get some whole blood for her."

"Already done and sent for, Doctor."

"Great. Let's get her prepped. Someone go get Mitali to be the anesthesiologist." To Sung-Lee, he says, "She may be an orthopedic surgeon but she's the best gas-passer we have. Just don't tell her boyfriend that." Sung-Lee giggles, and Zhu Li leaves the room to get Mitali. "Korra, let's get going with a midline incision, stem to stern."

"Yes, Doctor."

While Korra and Mitali help get Sung-Lee prepped, Kai gets Mako and Jinora together in the far corner of the room. "Have either of you done a Caesarian lately? I haven't and I don't want to fuck up and potentially cause more harm than good."

"I haven't delivered a kid since I drove one of my cousins to the airport before the war started," Mako says. "Jinora?"

Jinora actually has to think about it, casting her memories back into the years before the war had consumed her life. "I did a couple when I was in residency, but that was ages ago."

"Maybe, but it's close enough," Mako says, and he relays the information over to Korra. "What are the heart rates?"

"Maternal is one-forty, baby's seventy-five." While Korra and Mako go back and forth on the patient's information, Kai helps Jinora get ready for surgery. "Patient's ready, Jin."

"Alright." Jinora swallows back the lump of fear in her throat. Mitali's got whole blood and anesthesia going into Sung-Lee and Korra's put up a partition but Nurse Saki is still by the young girl's side. "Let's deliver a baby."

Finding the bleeder isn't difficult once she gets going, but the amount of caution that she has to undertake in this surgery causes her hands to shake from fear. One wrong move and the baby dies, two wrong moves and Sung-Lee dies too. Midwives and nurses and doctors in the maternity ward who do this every day deserve all the respect in the world.

"Can you see the bleeder?" Korra asks, careful to keep her voice down. Sung-Lee hasn't breathed a complaint at all. Brave girl. "Jinora?"

"I think so. Looks like the uterine artery." Jinora inhales, trying to keep her thoughts in order. "I'm going to clamp the uterine off and try not to get the ureter. Then I'll go after the baby."

"You'd better hurry. Her blood pressure's dropping to seventy over thirty."

"Pump in more blood." Her voice is terse. "Clamp."

Everyone is quiet as Jinora goes in with the clamp, moving slowly and steadily. Korra interjects with a sponge or a scalpel occasionally, but it doesn't take long for the uterine artery to get clamped off. Sewing it up, she holds her breath and removes the clamp. It's safe, and so is the ureter. Thank Raava. "Give me a retractor."

"Yes, Doctor."

Kai speaks up once she removes the retractor. "What's the story?"

"Bleeding's controlled," she says. Nurse Saki, Kai, Mako, Korra, and Mitali release a heavy sigh of relief. Sung-Lee relaxes ever so slightly but doesn't say anything. Zhu Li, who's standing at the door of the operating room, leaves briefly to relay the information to the others. "I'm going in after the kid. Korra?"

Korra doesn't even look up. "Pressure's barely holding."

"Those rotten snipers," Nurse Saki curses. "I hope they burn for what they've done."

"It's their job to be rotten," Mako says, but he sounds just as angry as Nurse Saki looks. Korra inserts a catheter into Sung-Lee's urethra to drain urine during the procedure, and Mitali starts an IV for fluids and medications. Jinora shaves away the top section of Sung-Lee's pubic hair just to be safe, and Nurse Saki reminds the girl to be quiet as to not disturb Jinora or Korra. "You three ready?"

"As we'll ever be." Jinora swabs the patient's belly with an antiseptic before making a small, horizontal incision in the skin above Sung-Lee's pubic bone. She cuts through the underlying tissue, slowly making her way to the uterus. Bile rises in her throat but she swallows it back, focusing instead on separating the abdominal muscles and spreading them to expose what's underneath. _Here we go_. "Scalpel."

Korra passes her one. "Here you go."

Jinora makes a horizontal cut in the lower section of the uterus, says another prayer under her breath while Sung-Lee whimpers in pain, and carefully pulls out the baby with Korra's help. "Here we are," she murmurs to the infant, who's red and somewhat slimy and crying. "Here we are—there's your mother, say hi!"

Sung-Lee gasps and tears well in her eyes as she sees the baby briefly. Jinora feels a stab of something in her gut when she sees that Sung-Lee's bitten through her bottom lip in an attempt to stay quiet during the operation. "Is my baby okay?"

"We'll find out really soon, just let Korra take a look at her. In the meantime, we still have to deliver your placenta but don't worry, it's less painful than it sounds." Sure enough, the delivery of the placenta doesn't take long at all, and Jinora starts to close up with Mitali's help. "There we are, and here comes Korra."

Just as promised, Korra arrives with the baby, who's swaddled in several blankets and emitting a thin wail. "Congratulations," she says happily. "It's a boy."

The tears trickle down Sung-Lee's cheeks, and Nurse Saki whispers, "Thank Raava." Kai sniffles and wipes his eyes. Mitali's surgical mask is wet, as is Jinora's. Even Mako and Zhu Li look overwhelmed by the emotion of the moment.

Jinora remembers how to speak first. "How is he?"

"Fine, no health complications as far as I can see—even though he's a little premature. He's got a nick in his little butt." Sung-Lee giggles, but Jinora can't tell if it's because she thinks it's funny or because the anesthesia is making her loopy. "Here we go, Momma, you can hold him now."

Jinora backs away to give Sung-Lee and the baby some privacy, moving over to stand by Kai. He wraps an arm around her, and even though they're both sweating and scrubbed up and she's covered in blood, she can't help but feel content.

* * *

The next morning, everything seems to have gone back to normal. Nurse Saki and the orphans stick around, having refused to leave until Sung-Lee and the baby have recovered. Haru, Sung-Lee's husband, had arrived later that night and hadn't left Sung-Lee's side yet, not even for breakfast. The few members of the medical staff who aren't on morning postop duty are eating breakfast and playing cards in the mess tent. Kiyi and Mako have gotten even closer with Rohi and Oyaji, and Jinora knows that the nurse will be torn up once the orphans leave for Tianjiao.

Zhu Li walks in with a bag slung over her shoulder that's full to bursting, and her announcement of mail call brings some energy back to the tired atmosphere. "Captain Wen, a letter from your father for you. Captain Lieng, Major Lieng, this one's from your grandmother. Lieutenant Beifong, from your family. Captain Gyatso," she hands her a letter that's stamped with the governor's seal, instantly making Jinora's heart grow cold, "this one's from your family."

Kai stops what he's doing, slowly putting down his letter on the table. Jinora's lungs are struggling with taking in oxygen. What if her parents don't approve? What if she's about to read that they've disowned her? What if they've sent back her engagement ring and told her to suck it up and marry Akash? She'd sooner run away.

Hands shaking, she opens the envelope, and after squeezing Kai's hand for support, opens up the letter.

 _Dear Jinora,_

 _We have received your letter and are pleased to hear that you are doing well. Everything is fine on the home front. Meelo has been seeing the youngest daughter of XinFei Kuji; I believe her name is Qolla. Rohan is studying hard in school and has picked up astronomy as a habit again (which makes me pleased as I never threw away his old star charts). Ikki has been helping your father work on his reelection campaign and has even come up with a new slogan, For Our Tomorrow We Take Action Today. I finished your favorite series_ The Red String _and I've been trying out some new dessert recipes, a few of which I've sent your way. Your father's been focused on his term and his reelection campaign and fending off the paparazzi, who are still demanding to know about the status of your engagement. (It's still broken off, no need to worry.)_

 _In other family news, your Aunt Kya is seeing someone but she refuses to tell neither me nor your father who it is. "A lady never kisses and tells," she claims. I suspect that Bumi knows, but he's keeping it under wraps. Speaking of which, have you seen him at all? He's not missing, of course, I just was wondering if he'd stopped by the 6152_ _nd_ _since you've already met General Raiko (soon to be President Raiko, as Akiyama is getting slaughtered in the polls right now). Going off Bumi's letters, it's clear that he's seen a lot of hardships and rough battles, but unfortunately that hasn't dissuaded Meelo's dreams of joining up. Only your father threatening to cut off his inheritance has stopped him._

 _Jinora, we've always taught you to follow your heart. And even though we are not happy with the circumstances—and your father is none too pleased with your choice—we recognize that you are a consenting adult who can make her own decisions and follow her heart wherever it leads her. We don't want to lose you, darling, and so we approve of your relationship with Kai. If you two are still together after the war is over, we would love to meet him._

 _We love you, we miss you, and we can't wait to see you as soon as this horrible war ends. Hopefully those reports from_ United Republic Today _are accurate and your homecoming will be sooner than we think._

 _Love,_

 _Pema Dhatri Gyatso_

"Well?" Kai's voice shocks her out of her trance, and the letter quivers in her hands as a result from the emotions coursing through her body. Spirits. Is this real? It has to be, judging by her mother's perfect handwriting and her sister's best stationary. "Jinora, what is it? What did they say?" Next to him, Mitali and Zin and Korra and Opal wait with bated breath. Even Zhu Li, who has distanced herself from the radio drama that is Jinora's life, looks interested. "Jin?"

"They approve," she says weakly. "Kai. Kai, they approve. My mother gave us her blessing. We—we can be together."

"Oh my Spirits," whooshes out of Kai's mouth like he's been punched in the gut, and the next thing she knows he picks her up and swings her around and around. Her hair's in her face and the position's not particularly comfortable, but she's so overjoyed and it feels like all of her troubles have finally gone away. She and Kai have overcome virtually every obstacle in the book, and now her parents approve of their relationship. They can be together.

Kai puts her down, grinning widely and cupping her face in his hands. "I love you, Jinora Gyatso," he says, firm and quiet and sounding oh-so-happy that it makes her feel like her soul will curl out of her body and fly away into the clouds.

"I love you too," she says, and means it more than anything. The war's nearly over, her parents approve of her relationship with Kai, and honestly, she doesn't think that anything can make her happier than she is right now.


	14. Truce for the Holidays

The holidays are finally here, and for once everyone at the 6152nd is embracing the spirit and cheer that goes along with them. Sure, homesickness is as abundant as ever (especially for people like Korra and Mako and Zhu Li, who've been stationed in the Earth Kingdom for almost all of the war), but it's different now. Kai thinks it's because they haven't been inundated with casualties in days—President Akiyama and Hotah Deng had miraculously organized a truce that's supposed to last from Wanmas to the New Year, and he's one hundred percent fine with that. So, it seems, is everyone else. Corporal Tikka organizes the decorating of the mess tent and postop with the determination and fervor of a four-star general. Zhu Li orders fresh shipments of food and alcohol from I-Corps and helps the recovering soldiers phone home free of charge (thanks to Korra). There's laughter and good coffee and card games and moonshine and he gets to sleep in and the Officer's Club is open every night, and it's all amazing.

Yet this year is different. Last Wanmas, he and Skoochy had organized a week-long party filled with alcohol, good food, and drunk pranks. The year before, he'd been in Yu Dao with Yung and praying that the war wouldn't escalate that far north. This year he's got Jinora to consider, and although he knows that she doesn't celebrate Wanmas, he wants her to have the best holiday season ever.

Now he just has to figure out what to get her.

It's not like he hasn't thought about it before, but the New Year is looming nearer and that'll be the last party before the truce officially ends and he knows that'll be his last chance. He knows what she likes but getting her a book or a new journal or a bottle of perfume or fresh-baked egg cookies just seems too impersonal, like it doesn't come close to summing up what she means to him. And for lack of other options, he decides to ask around. More specifically, he decides to ask the four people that he's positive won't snitch.

"The new book in the Red String series came out last month," Korra says, not even bothering to look up from the stacks of paperwork on her desk. "She's a big fan; she'll love that."

"Unfortunately, Captain Wen, I don't know Captain Gyatso as well as you do," Zhu Li says, somehow managing to make eye contact with him while she does seven different things at once. "I suggest that you ask yourself what she likes and go from there."

"Spare her from alcohol for the entirety of the new year," Mako says, his voice coming out muffled from beneath the pillow under which he's buried himself. He'd gone out dancing with Kiyi last night and if the groans from the nurses' tent are any indication, neither of them have recovered from their hangovers yet. "I know she'll appreciate that."

"Get her something from the heart," Bolin says. Opal, thankfully, is not present for this conversation; Kai knows perfectly well that she's one of the worst secret keepers in the entire unit. Bolin, despite his exuberance, knows how to keep his mouth shut when it's serious. "It doesn't necessarily have to be elaborate, Kai. She'll like it if you put a lot of thought into whatever it is you're giving her."

Kai decides to go with Bolin's advice. Not only does it resonate with him the most, but Bolin's a psychiatrist and he's happily engaged to Opal Beifong and once dated Ginger Zhang. If anyone here (besides Skoochy, maybe) is qualified to give him girl advice, then it's definitely Bolin.

* * *

Dìbātiān de Jùhuì arrives the week before Wanmas, and thankfully the truce is still as strong as ever so none of the planned ceremony will be interrupted by a wave of wounded and sixteen hours of meatball surgery. Korra lets Jinora use the mess tent in place of an actual temple and Kai helps her light lanterns and stands guard at the door while she leads Opal and a few other corpsman of Air Nomad descent in prayer. It's a fascinating ceremony, actually, although he doesn't have the same connection to it that Jinora and the others do.

"Blessed are You, Raava, Sovereign of all," says Jinora with her eyes closed, "for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season."

"Amen," says Opal, closely followed by the other corpsmen.

Jinora's eyes open and she grins at them, Kai automatically smiling even though it isn't directed at him. "Great," she says happily. "That's that. Thanks for joining me, you guys. I really appreciate it."

"No prob, Jin," Opal says, slinging an arm around her friend's shoulder. "Besides, I've been meaning to get back in touch with my Air Nomad side for years now. Maybe we can meet up again for Xiébō Shōuliǎn or something."

"That is if the war isn't still going on this spring," says one of the corpsmen. Kai is pretty sure that his name is Otaku, and he's only been stationed here for about six months. He looks about forty, with a chubby face and thick glasses and thinning brown hair, and he's smiling like he hasn't had this much fun in months. "Thank you again, Captain Gyatso."

"You're welcome, Otaku. Anytime!"

Once everyone clears out—and Opal makes Jinora promise to meet her and Bolin in the Officer's Club to continue their Pai Sho game from yesterday—Kai makes his way over to Jinora and presses a quick kiss to her cheek. "Great ceremony, Jin," he praises. "I think you did an awesome job. The prayer especially was really nice."

Jinora rolls her eyes fondly. "You didn't understand any of the prayer and you know it."

That's accurate, as the prayer had been layered in terms from the old languages and had switched topics so quickly that Kai couldn't keep track of it as much as he'd wanted to, but he pretends to be offended. Placing a hand over his chest in shock, he says, "Captain Gyatso, you fiend. I'll have you know that it's the spirit of the thing that counts."

They walk out of the mess tent hand in hand, not needing to clear away the lanterns and put back the tables and chairs for at least an hour, and just as Kai's about to ask Jinora whether or not she minds stopping back at the Swamp for a moment, the piercing shriek of a whistle rips through the air. Instantly on guard, Kai pushes Jinora behind him and looks around for possible snipers or the uniform of a New Freedom Fighter—only to remember that their signal for that is a siren, not a whistle. False alarm.

He turns to look at Jinora, who looks as though she's realized the same thing, and bites his lip. "Sorry," he says sheepishly. "Force of habit—you can never be too sure, y'know."

"After all that's happened over the last few months, I don't blame you in the slightest." Jinora pats him on the shoulder as if to say all is forgiven, and then she stands up straighter and squints in the distance. "I think Korra's the one who blew the whistle; she's standing up on one of the jeeps now."

The two of them hurry to the motor pool, where a crowd is forming rapidly. Kiyi's sweater is on inside out and Zin's hair looks interestingly windswept; the two of them must have sprinted here all the way from a shift organizing inventory. Korra stands tall on the hood of a jeep; if the rusty metal and duct tape on one of the headlights is any indication, it's probably been around since the last war. As always, Zhu Li stands at attention on Korra's right side, although she's standing on the ground and shivering a little underneath Varrick's old overcoat.

Once everyone has arrived, Korra says, "Thank you all for coming so quickly, guys, and in return I'll make this as snappy as possible." Interested, Kai pays closer attention. "Sergeant Moon and I were recently contacted by reporters from _United Republic Today_ , who are currently in the process of making a documentary special about the war and those who have and continue to fight in it. As we have the highest effectiveness rating out of the other mobile army hospitals, they asked us if they could come by for a week or two and collect film and interview you all."

That gets everyone buzzing. Everyone knows that _United Republic Today_ has been all over the war since it had started three years ago, but the thought of them coming to the 6152nd is a little hard to picture. And who would they be sending anyway?

"Naturally, we agreed," Korra continues, instantly getting everyone's attention again. "The reporters and their crew have just arrived, and they'll be staying in the VIP tent until further notice. I expect all of you to be on your best behavior." With a grand gesture to her right, she says, "And now it is my pleasure to introduce Yui-Sai Fong and Chen Nanuq."

The crowd parts to reveal a group of five people, all of whom are bundled up in the warmest clothing this side of the Earth Kingdom has to offer. Yui-Sai Fong and Chen Nanuq are at the front of the group, and after listening to their war broadcasts for nearly two years, he's surprised that they look almost precisely like he'd pictured them.

Yui-Sai Fong is clearly of Fire Nation descent—amber eyes, black hair, pale skin and all. She's got her hair tied back in a high ponytail and she's wearing wire-rimmed glasses that keep slipping down her nose. She's in her mid-fifties for sure and has this gleam in her eyes that makes her look like she wants to analyze and interview everyone on this side of the war. She and Varrick would have probably gotten along great.

Chen Nanuq, in comparison, is the only one thoroughly dressed for an Earth Kingdom winter—everyone else is wearing that flimsy crap that the Fire Nation manufactures, the stuff that'll freeze people's skin off once it gets below zero. He's got dark skin like Korra's and his hair is in a warrior's wolf tail but his eyes aren't the typical Water Tribe blue, they're brown. Must be mixed-race, but it's not polite to ask. Kai guesses he's pushing sixty years old. He's got a journal clutched in his gloved hands that looks ready to fall apart from overuse and a pen tucked behind his ear.

"Thank you for having us, Major Iluak," Yui-Sai says, brushing a bit of her hair behind her left ear. To everyone, she grins and says, "I know we got introduced already but I'm Yui-Sai Fong, this is my partner Chen Nanuq, and our camera crew. From left to right, there's Qiao Tsong, Mala Saymi, and Tamil Garkan." Each of the camera crew wave in turn. "We're real excited to be here and we promise we won't get in your way too much."

"Nothing much to get in the way of what with the truce," Chen says, rolling his eyes fondly at his companion, and she sticks her tongue out at him. "Mature, Yui-Sai, very mature."

Korra stifles a snort and instantly composes herself when Zhu Li shoots her a look that plainly says _really._ "Uh, if you and your camera crew could please follow me to the VIP tent—that'll be where you're staying—and you can start shooting once you get settled in, if you like. Sergeant Igoru, when will lunch be served?"

The sergeant checks his watch. "It's heading on one o'clock now, so we can start serving as soon as Captain Gyatso clears her stuff out from the mess tent."

Jinora blushes bright red. "Sorry about that. I was going to as soon as I finished but then we all had to rush over here and—"

"It's fine, really," Korra says, waving away the issue. "Just get it done, alright?"

"Sure. Of course."

"Thanks, Jin. Alright, you're all dismissed."

The crowd starts to disperse, most of them heading back to their tents where it's warm, but Kai stops short of following Jinora to help her and Opal clean up the mess tent. "I'll be there in just a second," he says to her. "Just gotta ask them something."

"Alright. See you in a bit." She presses a quick kiss to his cheek and walks off with Opal to the mess tent, hands shoved deep into the pockets of her jacket. Kai touches his cheek carefully, like he's afraid too much pressure will rub the kiss off, and can't help but sigh happily. Sometimes it still feels like a dream.

He approaches Yui-Sai Fong and Chen Nanuq, feeling a little starstruck. "Excuse me?" he says, and the two of them turn to face him. "Hi. I'm Kai Wen, head surgeon. I hail from Yu Dao and we—well, my dad and I listen to your broadcasts all the time. Not just since the war started, but before that when you were interviewing the Earth Queen and—uh. I was wondering if I could have your autographs."

"Of course!" Chen rips a sheet out of his journal and takes the pen out from behind his ear. "Who should we make it out to?"

"My dad, please. His name's Yung—that's Y-U-N-G." _Yung's going to shit kittens over this_ , he thinks with glee as Chen and Yui-Sai scribble out a message and sign their names underneath it. Taking it and placing it in his pocket, he says, "Thanks a bunch. Really appreciate it."

"No problem," Yui-Sai answers. "Say," her eyes fly down to the insignia embroidered on his uniform for a moment, "Captain Wen, would you mind telling us a bit about the medical team here?"

Kai's kind of taken aback that they've asked him instead of Korra or Zhu Li, but he supposes that since he's the head surgeon—and had introduced himself as such—he may as well. "Sure. There's me—I'm a general surgeon and got elected head surgeon a few months after I got here. There's Major Mako Lieng, he's also a general surgeon and he's career army and second in command of the camp. There's Captain Mitali Hema—she's our orthopedic surgeon and sometimes does double-time as our resident anesthesiologist. And then there's Jinora. Captain Jinora Gyatso. My girlfriend. She's our thoracic surgeon."

Yui-Sai smiles at him. "How long have you two been together?"

"Few months." Kai smiles at the thought too. He could probably ramble about Jinora all day but they'd asked about the medical staff and that's the information he'll give them. (He can always brag about his girlfriend later.) "We used to have some other doctors, but…well, we lost them to war. Captain Isamu Chouko and Major Kuzon Meng were here back when the war first started, but Captain Chouko got killed by a patient and Major Meng got sent home. I never met them, but they always sounded like good guys." He exhales. "Our old commanding officer, Colonel Varrick—he got discharged but his helicopter got shot down halfway over the Si Wong Desert." It still hurts to talk about Varrick but at least the wound left by his departure is starting to heal. "Mitali's his replacement."

"I'm sorry to hear of his loss," says Chen, and Yui-Sai nods too.

"We all were. None more than Zhu Li—she and him were together for, well, forever. She was real torn up about it." He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck absentmindedly. "But before that—before Jinora came here—we had another thoracic surgeon named Skoochy Nakamura. Uh, his first name was Shun but he hated it and always went by Skoochy. He was my best friend, but…he was killed by a New Freedom Fighter and died on the table." Some part of Kai would always consider Skoochy's death his fault, no matter how many times it was said otherwise.

Chen looks up from his journal, eyes softening sympathetically. "Sounds like you've had a lot of ups and downs here, Captain Wen."

Kai snorts. "More than any rollercoaster on Ember Island, that's for sure."

Yui-Sai laughs. "Mind if we quote you on that?"

"Nah, not at all." Kai rocks back and forth on his heels, trying to think about what he can say about the nurses. "As for the rest of the medical staff—well, the nurses are awesome. They don't get enough credit for all the hard work they do. Korra's in charge of them and she's awesome, but she's career army and runs a tight ship. Opal Beifong's her second in command; she's great with our younger patients and just got engaged to Captain Bolin Lieng, Mako's brother. He's the camp psychiatrist. Kiyi Nakahara's quiet but she's gotten a lot more talkative and relaxed over our time here and she's particularly handy when it comes to appendectomies. Zin Yamato is swell; he's dating Mitali and sometimes works as our resident anesthesiologist whenever Mitali or Bolin are busy, but he's a great nurse. He gets a lot of shit from time to time for being a male nurse, though."

"No more than Captains Hema and Gyatso do for being female doctors, I'm sure," says Yui-Sai, and Kai nods.

"Right. All of 'em take it in stride. Let's see. Uh. Mai Chenguanxi and Sora Tsen and Xióng Yali are the biggest gossips in the camp but they're really sweet. And they're really good nurses too—you'd never think they'd be anything but serious if you only saw them in the OR. Everyone here is a credit to their profession. We all work hard and we're good at what we do."

Yui-Sai and Chen exchange looks with each other. "Well, Captain Wen," says Chen, "thanks for giving us a rundown. We'll be by shooting B-roll shots later and I think we'll start the interview process once we're done with that. Mind telling the medical staff that?"

"No problem." Kai snaps off a quick salute at them. "Hope you get settled in alright."

And with that, he jogs over to the mess tent and helps Jinora and Opal clear up the rest of their supplies from Dìbātiān de Jùhuì. Opal leaves to go inform Sergeant Igoru that he can start serving lunch now, and Kai wraps an arm around Jinora and pulls her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Kai!" The tips of her ears go bright red. "What was that for?"

"Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you."

Jinora rolls her eyes, but beneath the blasé façade he can see that she's genuinely happy by his words. "When did you become such a smooth talker?"

His smile widens. This, right here, right now, is perfect. "Learned from the best, Jin."

* * *

Over the next few days, Kai grows accustomed to always seeing Yui-Sai Fong and Chen Nanuq and their camera crew around the camp. They've been filming B-roll of the mess tent and postop (even interviewing the few soldiers in there before they'd been shipped back to the front) and the Officer's Club. Sergeant Kuji and Corporal Tikka take the crew on a tour of the nearby village, and Chen comes back wearing no less than twelve trinkets from Mrs. Sesi's shop. Sometimes they ask the doctors and nurses questions about schedules and food and the like, but other than that they've remained quiet. According to Zhu Li, though, the reporters are planning to sit everyone down separately and interview them once they've got enough footage for their special. That's fine by him.

On Wanmas Eve, the enlisted men and women plan a party in the Officer's Club that's meant to last from dusk 'til dawn. Kai's thankful that Jinora doesn't celebrate Wanmas because he's still putting the finishing touches on her present and plans to give it to her on New Year's Eve instead. It sounds like it'll be a lot of fun but before any of that fun can occur, Korra sends Zhu Li to go get the doctors and send them to her office. Whatever that conversation is, the nurses have already suffered through it and refuse to reveal what Korra's going to tell them. Even Xióng, who's the worst secret-keeper in camp, won't say a word. That's how Kai knows it's serious.

Kai's still wondering why exactly he, Mitali, Jinora, Mako, Bolin, and Zhu Li have been called in here today when Korra calls the room to attention. "Okay, listen up," she says, instantly cutting to the chase. "I have something to tell you and I don't want to hear so much as a laugh, a giggle or a chuckle from anybody."

Kai elbows Jinora. "You hear that, Jin?" he says, grinning slightly as he wags his finger at her. Jinora rolls her eyes at him and elbows him back. "Not a word."

Korra eyes them all like she's half scared they're going to run out of there screaming any second. "Subject of this meeting is…the army." She looks almost expectantly at those gathered in the room. Mako makes a sound of interest but the rest of the doctors all sit quietly. Zhu Li just raises an eyebrow. To herself, Korra says quietly, "So far, so good." To them in her regular voice, she says, "I've been directed by I-Corps to address you about the possibility of making the army your career."

As though they'd all received a cue from the heavens, Kai, Jinora, Bolin and Mitali all burst out laughing. Kai's sides hurt by the time he's done and Bolin has to wipe his eyes on the handkerchief that Opal had given him for his birthday last year to quell the tears of mirth. Korra just crosses her arms and waits for them to be finished. Oh Spirits, she'd been serious.

Kai decides to speak up first. "I'm sorry, Korra, but if I held that in my teeth would have exploded!"

Jinora's a bit more diplomatic, but only just. "Come on, you have to be kidding!"

"Yeah, Korra," adds Bolin while wiping his eyes again. "Haven't we already spent enough time at the army's beck and call? I don't know about you but I'm a bit tired of the constant shelling."

"Guys, please," Mitali says evenly, looking at them with disgust. Kai knows his friend well enough to see that her look of disgust is feigned. "It's impolite to laugh at seniles."

Kai almost breaks a rib trying not to laugh. Jinora isn't so successful; she stifles an explosive bark of laughter in her wrist while Bolin buries his face in his handkerchief again. Korra isn't fooled by Mitali's act. " _What_ did you say?" she snaps, her tone showing that she means business.

"Loss of hearing is the first sign," Bolin says sotto voce, and everyone starts laughing all over again. Korra doesn't look particularly impressed by their antics—but then again, she really should have seen this reaction coming.

"Will you guys keep quiet?" Mako retorts, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm actually interested in what Korra has to say." Even Bolin rolls his eyes at that. It's quintessential Mako Lieng: doctor, career army, and supreme ass-kisser. "Go on, Korra."

"Thank you, Mako," Korra says with a grin in his direction. Kai begins making kissing noises and without even looking in his direction, she says, "Blow one more kiss, Kai, and those lips will never walk again. I'm sure Jinora won't be pleased with that." Jinora blushes, but Kai's show of zipping up his lips and throwing away the key sends her and Bolin into hysterics. "Oh for Raava's sake, enough."

"Come on, that's enough," says Zhu Li, finally speaking up for the first time since entering the room. "I'd like to hear this too." Kai and Mitali both make kissing noises in her direction. "Oh, fuck off!" Just the fact that Zhu Li had used profanity makes them all shut up from shock. Even Korra looks slightly surprised. Zhu Li flushes bright red, looking down at her shoes. "Major, please continue."

It takes Korra a few seconds to get her head back in the game. "Um…thanks, Zhu Li." She nods several times to herself. "Now I think you can all admit that the army presents unique opportunities that cannot be had anywhere else…"

"Fair point," Mitali says to Jinora. "What other job lets you die for a living?"

"Certainly a once in a lifetime experience," Jinora replies in the same vein. Bolin snickers from behind his handkerchief.

Korra isn't willing to be deterred. "The army provides a chance to see the world—"

"Scenic tours of all the great battlefields," Kai remarks. Even Mako snorts at that. Korra looks ready to go to blows and Kai raises his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Look, Korra, I'm sorry but my opinion on the matter's clear. Why do we need to consider an army for a career if the war's supposed to be ending soon?"

"Because like it or not, there's always going to be another war," says Korra. She shrugs, defeated. "And here I thought that you'd like to support your country but it seems that I'm mistaken." She holds up a hand as Jinora and Bolin start apologizing for their laughter. "Nah, don't worry. I should've expected that as a response."

"Well, you gave it your best shot," Kai says, standing up to pat Korra on the shoulder.

She rolls her eyes fondly at him. "Thanks, Captain Wen."

Mitali raises her hand like she's in school, and Korra calls on her. "Did you ask the nurses the same thing?"

"Yep," Korra says, popping the p. "And even Kiyi laughed in my face." Bolin's handkerchief makes a reappearance. "Thank you all for coming, and don't let the door hit you on the way out."

* * *

Zin is waiting for Mitali, Kai, and Jinora at the bar, and a smirk immediately spreads across his face once they make their way through the crowd—a lot more extensive than Kai had been expecting—and dodge Yui-Sai Fong and Chen Nanuq's cameras and sit down at the bar. "So," he says innocently, "had a good talk?"

"Fantastic one, thanks," Kai answers. He takes some pretzels from the bowl on the counter and shoves them into his mouth, talking around them. "Thanks for the warning, man. I thought we were friends."

Zin holds up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Hey, if none of us had any advance knowledge, then neither should you. It's only fair." His smirk fades to an expression of sheepish embarrassment. "Though I wish I'd known so I wouldn't be embarrassed now about laughing in Korra's face."

Kai snorts. "Don't feel bad, we all did it."

"Honestly, does anyone in the unit want to stay with the army?" Jinora asks. "I mean, what good has come out of it?"

"Well," Mitali says fairly, looking around at all of them, "we did all end up meeting each other." Zin puts an arm around her shoulders and she leans as close to him as she can without falling off her barstool. "I'd say that's a good thing."

Jinora and Kai look at each other, and his heart flutters like he's a heroine in a yuan dreadful when she puts her left hand on top of his, thankfully free of Akash Chow's engagement ring. "Yeah," he says. "I'm inclined to agree."

There's a sudden screech of microphone feedback and everyone in the Officer's Club turns around to see Corporal Tikka holding a microphone in her hand. She's perched up on Sergeant Kuji's shoulders so she can see over the crowd and looks very happy to see everyone. "Glad to see all of you made it!" she says with a wave, nearly dropping the microphone as a result. Sergeant Kuji rolls his eyes fondly. "I intend to keep partying until the alcohol runs out or the armistice breaks, whichever comes first. So have a good time and happy Wanmas Eve!"

True to Corporal Tikka's word, the party lasts through the night and goes well into the morning. Everyone's drinking and eating and laughing and having a great time. Yui-Sai and Chen share cool stories about their adventures in the Fire Nation and the Water Tribe, and Kai eagerly asks questions about what it had been like to interview the Earth Queen. Zin gives Mitali an emerald necklace as her Wanmas gift and she responds by kissing him so fiercely that several people cough and turn away. Mitali's gift to Zin is a new watch, because his old one had stopped working when a soldier had puked on it during a triage session. (Kai's just glad that both of those gifts are not ones that he's planned to give to Jinora because he doesn't want her to think that he'd copied someone else's idea.) Bolin disappears with Opal for at least an hour before returning with windswept hair and lipstick smudges on his neck. Kiyi blushes bright red enough to rival the flags of the Fire Nation when Mako shyly presents her with a gift, a pair of earrings, but it's nothing compared to Mako's expression when she kisses him on the cheek for it.

Kai is so caught up in the excitement of everything that's going on that he doesn't even notice a little slip of a man enter the club at three in the morning until Korra yells at Bolin to shut off the jukebox so she can hear, shocking the man so badly that he trips over his own feet.

"My apologies, Corporal Gopan," Korra says, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "I didn't mean to startle you."

The corporal looks slightly intimidated but nods as if to show there's no harm done. "Quite alright, ma'am." Much to Kai's surprise, he speaks with a northern accent—and judging by the look on Mitali's face she recognizes the dialect too. He's from their neck of the woods; probably not from either of their towns because neither he nor Mitali recognize Gopan, but definitely close by. It's always nice to see a fellow Earth Kingdom citizen. "I normally would have sent this package directly to your unit's PX," he pats the bag that he's got slung over his shoulder, and for the first time Kai notices a bulky brown package sticking out of the top of it, "but when I saw what it was I thought I'd deliver it personally."

"Well, uh, that's really kind of you." Korra smiles and Kai can't help but relax. Even if this is a little unexpected, he likes watching people get packages from home—the joy on their faces is truly indescribable. "Who's it for?"

"Someone named Moon, ma'am. Sergeant Zhu Li Moon."

The person in question turns around to face Gopan from where she'd been having a conversation with Sora, looking mildly confused. Kai feels the same way. Zhu Li hardly ever gets packages from home. In fact, if it weren't for her occasional stories of having cousins in the United Republic he'd have thought that she was an orphan. But she strides through the crowd, which parts respectfully to let her through, and comes to a stop beside Korra and Gopan.

"This is Sergeant Moon, our company clerk," Korra says, even though it's obvious. "Zhu Li, this is Corporal Gopan, he's with the Quartermaster Corps and he's got a package for you."

Her brows furrow. "For me?"

"Yes ma'am," says Gopan. He takes the package out of his bag and tucks it under his arm; it's about the size of a tissue box but Zhu Li looks at it like she's afraid it'll bite her. He holds out a clipboard and a pen. "Sign here, please." After she does, he gives her the package. "This has been sitting in my office for almost seven months now, ma'am, and I've gotta say I'm real happy that you can finally get it. The purchaser made it clear that you had to receive it on Wanmas otherwise I'd be sorry, so if you could send something to my boss that says I did, that'd be real appreciated…"

Kai tunes out Gopan's rambling and inches closer to see Zhu Li slowly opening up the package. Gopan's got an excited grin on his face, Korra looks curious, and Zhu Li looks as stoic as ever but Kai sees that there's a gleam of excitement in her eyes as well. Who sent that to her and what is it?

She takes out a note and a box and hands the box to Korra so she can hold one thing at a time. "Am I meant to read the note first, Corporal?"

"Yes indeed." Now he's bouncing around like a kid in need of the bathroom. "And you've also got to read it out loud."

Zhu Li looks like she'd rather do anything but that and Kai can't blame her, but her curiosity wins out and she does. "'Dear Zhu Li,'" she reads. "'I know you aren't a fan of public displays of affection but I thought that the contents of this package would be incomplete without this note. I want you to know that you are the butter to my bread and the breath to my life, and I treasure every moment I spend with you. So I thought I'd chance asking if I could extend the time I spend with you and vice versa.'" She looks up, confused again. "There's no signature."

Gopan doesn't answer; for some reason he keeps looking around like he's searching for someone and there's a dawning realization in Kai's gut that something is about to go horribly wrong.

Korra decides to speak up first, handing the box to Zhu Li and moving over to Gopan. "What is it, Corporal?"

"Well—Major, I thought—the sender said that he was supposed to appear at the end of the note and—"

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Gopan swallows noisily as he glances between Zhu Li opening the box and Korra. "He called us maybe five or six months ago and said that he was getting sent home but he was organizing a surprise for his girlfriend on Wanmas and left me specific instructions and—"

Zhu Li suddenly lets out a strange, strangled gasp and goes milk-pale, eyes fixed to the contents of the box. She's trembling all over and her jaw is clenched tight and looks like a slight breeze could knock her down. Alarmed and worried that she might keel over, Kai rushes over to her side but when he gets a glimpse of what's inside the box he feels bile burning the back of his throat.

It's a wedding ring. Golden band with diamond flanked by two rubies. Small, delicate, perfect. And judging by the gasps all around them, they've all caught a glimpse of it too.

Zhu Li's knees suddenly buckle from under her and Kai barely catches her in time.

"Corporal Gopan." Now Korra's voice is low and dangerous, even scarier than when she'd been shouting at Lieutenant Saja for giving Kai a death certificate. "Who the hell sent Zhu Li this?"

"A m-man named Varrick, ma'am," Gopan stammers. "Uh, Iknik Blackstone Varrick." A hush falls over the room. Zhu Li is still shaking. Mako comes over to help Kai get her back to her feet. "W-why?"

No one bothers to answer.

Varrick had planned to propose to Zhu Li. He'd wanted to marry her. He'd thought that he would have more time. And even after he had gotten his discharge papers he had planned ahead to be with Zhu Li again on Wanmas.

But no one plans for their life to end.

Just when they'd all started to move past Varrick's death, this had to happen. The combination of anger and throat-clearing grief makes him want to simultaneously punch something and cry, but he holds back.

Zhu Li has no such restraint. With strength he hadn't known she had, she tears out of his grip but she trips and falls to her knees. Mako helps her up but she collapses again, and the hyperventilating and sheen of sweat can only mean—

In a sudden, violent heave, Zhu Li throws up, and Kai has never wanted to be wrong so much in his life.

Mako pats Zhu Li on the back, murmuring soothing words while he and Bolin ease her into a sitting position, the latter throwing his jacket over the vomit to hide it from sight. Kai's heart constricts when she starts to weep, not even bothering to cover her face. The ring box is clenched tightly in her hand.

"Get out," Korra snarls, and Gopan doesn't need to be told twice. Once he's gone, she turns to Yui-Sai Fong and Chen Nanuq and says, "Far be it from me to tell you how to film your special but if this ends up in it I'll kill you."

The two reporters nod quickly, as does every member of the camera crew. Clearly after all that's happened none of them want to get on Korra's bad side. "Of course not, Major Iluak."

"Good. Sergeant Igoru, go get the cleaning supplies. Mako, Bolin, help me get Zhu Li to my office."

No one feels much like partying after that. Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji take it upon themselves to help clean up and shoo everyone out while Sergeant Igoru rushes out to go and get the cleaning supplies. Bolin and Mako gently lead a broken-looking Zhu Li to Korra's office, where Korra will no doubt call Corporal Gopan's boss and demand a better explanation. Kai turns to Jinora, who still looks horrified at this turn of events. "Let's go back to the Swamp," he says quietly. "It's been a long night."

Jinora nods.

Once they're back in the Swamp, Kai wastes no time in pouring them both glasses of gin. She raises hers in a toast, and he follows suit. "To Varrick," she says.

Around a lump in his throat, he says, "To Varrick."

They drink in silence, Kai trying not to think about Varrick eagerly planning to propose to Zhu Li and keeping it a secret from everyone else, until Jinora speaks again. "You alright?"

"M'okay." At her incredulous look, he says, "I am, Jinora. Really. I'm just worried about Zhu Li. I know what it's like to, well, to have your grief brought up like that."

Her expression softens and she moves from her cot over to his, sitting close to him. "Do you mean—" She stops, biting her lip for a moment before saying, "Is this about Skoochy?"

Kai's exhale turns into a puff of cold mist a few inches away from his face. Earth Kingdom winters are honestly the spawn of Vaatu. "Yeah," he answers, casting his thoughts back like a fishing line through time and memory. "When—when Skoochy died, I—well. I didn't take it well, but I knew I had to get my shit together for the good of the unit. So I played pranks and joked around like the two of us used to. But on Skoochy's birthday we had a party to remember him and I had bottled up my emotions so tight that I just…I snapped in front of everyone and said they had no right to be happy because Skoochy was dead and I—I started crying." He clasps his hands together tightly. He'd hated himself for that show of weakness because for weeks afterward they had all walked on eggshells around him, even Varrick and Korra. "I got better, though."

There's silence again. "I wish I could have met him," Jinora says.

He snorts. "Me too." Skoochy and Jinora would've probably gotten along great. They would've bonded over teasing him and their respective careers as chest surgeons. Skoochy would've probably seen her as a younger sister or something and would've teased Kai endlessly over his feelings for her. Maybe he would've even had the guts to do what Kai couldn't do at that dinner and punch Akash Chow in the face. "He would've liked you."

"I think I would've liked him too." Jinora puts a hand on his shoulder. "You know I'm here for you, right?"

He breathes out. "Yeah, Jin. I know."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

The next few days go on like nothing had happened. Zhu Li refuses to speak to anyone about her display of grief and Korra tells everyone to leave her alone so she can work through it in her own way. (Kai had, on the other hand, been present to hear Korra yelling at Corporal Gopan's commanding officer over his lack of oversight and it had been one of the greatest things he'd ever heard.) Yui-Sai Fong and Chen Nanuq start the lengthy process of interviewing the medical staff and a few of the corpsmen, namely Sergeant Kuji, Corporal Tikka, and Zhu Li. Kai sits in the Swamp for about an hour and half while the reporters and their crew film him from different angles and ask him questions about his family, the war, and his relationship with Jinora, the latter of which he doesn't mind talking about at all. By the time New Year's Eve comes along, they've finished with all of their interviews and are ready to edit all of the footage together.

"I think that it'll be ready for worldwide release at the start of the New Year," Chen explains. "We just have to get it over to our editors and they'll fix it up."

"Our PR team at _United Republic Today_ will take care of the advertising," says Yui-Sai. "We'd help if we could but we have to get over to Sejong-Daero to film the peace talks."

"Yeah, us and every other film crew in the Four Nations."

Instead of being in the mess tent or the Officer's Club, Korra decides to break tradition and rents out Luoxi's for New Year's Eve. Kai wholeheartedly approves of this plan because the bar is two times bigger than the Officer's Club and that means all sixty of them (sixty-five plus the reporters and their crew) won't get uncomfortably squished next to each other in a room that smells like beer and stale peanuts.

Luoxi, the owner of the establishment, had apparently taken a leaf out of Corporal Tikka's book and decorated the bar with the focus of a United Forces general. There's streamers and confetti everywhere and a fully stocked bar and food prepared by Sunna Yang, the village's best cook, and all of that makes him happy.

Everyone even takes the time to dress up—Kai puts on his best pair of trousers and a button-down and Jinora nearly makes him speechless when she leaves the Swamp wearing a brown dress that perfectly matches her eyes, with mini eyelets and thin straps. He's always known that she's beautiful but this…wow. "You look amazing," he tells her.

"Thanks." She blushes. "You don't look too shabby yourself."

He offers her his arm. "Shall we, Captain Gyatso?"

"We shall, Captain Wen."

After dinner—which is one of the best meals that Kai's had in months—and the dancing starts to dwindle down at close to midnight, Bolin starts up a drinking song from his position on top of one of the tables. "Take up your bottle and take up your gun," he sings. "Forget the sorrows, the grief and the pain; come sunrise tomorrow start over again."

Korra jumps up on the table next to him and throws an arm around the beaming psychiatrist. "All in good fun, lads, all in good fun!"

Much to Kai's surprise, Mako climbs up to join his brother and his friend. Kiyi's standing with the other nurses and giggling at his antics like everyone else in the bar. "Get yourself a partner before they sound the drums; catch me, my lass, my beautiful saint—"

"Catch me, my maiden, or I'm gonna faint!" Bolin punctuates this statement by pretending to fall and Korra and Mako catch him in time while everyone laughs and Opal rolls her eyes fondly at her fiancé.

Sora and Mai lead the nurses in the next verse. "The war's mighty foolish to you and I, for those who give orders aren't the ones to die. And the lassies say that they do not drink—"

"But they keep all their wine beneath the sink," Jinora sings. That surprises him; he hadn't known that she knew this song.

But he pulls her close, singing, "Ohhh, it's all in good fun, lads, all in good fun!" with everyone else. Even Luoxi, who usually stays out of these songs, is singing along and clapping. Maybe it's just the holiday spirit.

And then the biggest surprise of the night arrives: Zhu Li stands up to sing the next verse. "Miles and miles from where I belong, and here I stand singing some damned fool song." Her voice is quiet but strong, and Kai's respect for her grows once he remembers that she'd used to sing this song with Varrick. Spirits, what a brave woman. "Raava, Raava, what a tragic tale, of sorrow and mourning and the strong smell of ale."

Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji conduct the corpsmen, and Kai wonders if the watery gleam in Zhu Li's eyes is real or a trick of the light. "We'll carry our rifles together and fall, we'll go out together or not ever at all, but 'til we're called home at a quarter to one, oh lads, oh lads, it's all in good fun."

The end of the song—two verses later—brings a momentous round of applause from all sixty-six occupants of Luoxi's Bar and Grill, and before Kai can ask Jinora to accompany him outside for their planned gift exchange, Jinora takes the initiative and does it first.

It's cold out but thankfully the winter jackets that Zhu Li had ordered from I-Corps months ago do the trick and Kai's shivering is at a minimum. He's got her gift tucked under his arm and she's got his behind her back. He's been doing gift exchanges for most of his life but this—this is exciting. Very exciting. He can't wait until he shows her what he got her.

"I'm not that great at choosing presents," Jinora admits after a moment's pause. "I keep wanting to buy everyone books."

"What's wrong with books? Books are great."

"They're great for those who actually enjoy reading, Kai."

"Hey," he protests, though he isn't offended at all by her words. "I enjoy reading."

"Really?" Jinora raises an eyebrow. "What was the last book you even read?"

Kai shrugs sheepishly. "Does one of Yung's letters count? Because I swear from the way he goes on about the flowers in his garden that it could be an excerpt from a really long novel." Jinora laughs, and he says, "In all seriousness, I do like to read. I just didn't learn until I was pretty old and I don't have much time."

"That's fair," she says, smiling at him, and then she hands him a wrapped package. "Happy late Wanmas."

After tearing into it as best as he could with another package under his arm, what he's left with is one of the nicest books he'd ever seen, especially considering that most of his and Yung's books are ragged and torn after succumbing to the pressures of time. It's hardcover and smooth to the touch and the title says—

His heart thuds to a halt in his chest.

 _You Never Hear the Bullet_ , it reads in careful lettering. _By Skoochy Nakamura._

"I know that you never got to read Skoochy's manuscript before you sent it to his mother," Jinora says while he's trying to get his thoughts in order. And that's true. Despite calling it a fascinating thing, he'd never had the chance to read it because Skoochy had insisted he could read it once he was done, and after Skoochy's death he hadn't wanted to because the wound had been too fresh. Skoochy's mother had appreciated the gesture, but there were some days when he really missed his friend that he regretted sending it away without reading it. "So I wrote Mrs. Nakamura and asked if she could make a copy and send it to me, and she did a couple weeks ago."

When had he mentioned his regrets about Skoochy's book to Jinora? It must've been over one of their conversations. There'd been so many over the last nine months he's forgotten what he'd told Jinora. What Jinora knew about him.

He traces the cover with his finger, fighting the lump in his throat. "I…I don't know what to say," he manages. She'd written to Skoochy's mother on his behalf. Raava, he loves her so much. "I—Jinora. Thank you." He hugs her and holds her tightly to him. "Thank you so much." Before he can fall into a litany of thanking her over and over again, he remembers his present to her and hastily pulls back. "Oh! Right. I've got something for you too. Uh, close your eyes."

She giggles. "Alright," she says, complying to his request.

Kai places the gift into her hands—he hadn't bothered wrapping it as he'd been too excited to see her reaction—and steps back, saying, "Okay, open them."

She opens her eyes, and once she gets a good look at what's in her hands her jaw drops. It's a photo album—a nice one, ordered from an Earth Kingdom catalogue and everything—and inside are pictures of the two of them from their time together here. There's pictures of them from the time that they'd broken the world record with Varrick's Satomobile, from meals in the mess tent, from dances at the Officer's Club, from their first date that had gone terribly wrong but had ended wonderfully. He'd even written a paragraph beneath each one explaining the where, when, and what so years from now they wouldn't forget the circumstances.

"Our relationship didn't really start under the best of circumstances," he says once the silence has gone on for a considerable amount of time. "But I still want to remember every moment I've spent with you here—because they've been some of the best moments of my life." His face falls and anxiety starts to wreak havoc on his system at the shocked look on her face. "Do—do you like it?"

"Like it? Kai, this is—it's so—I _love_ it." To show him that she means it, she pulls him into a kiss that makes him feel like he's going to fall through the earth or float into the clouds, and all of that romantic cosmic shit that books are always going on about. "I love you."

He grins at her. "I love you too."

Before he can say something else—maybe kiss her again—the doors of Luoxi's are pushed open and everyone comes running outside. Bolin's at the head of the group and he's shouting louder than all of them: "Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!"

Jinora rolls her eyes as they're jostled by the medical staff and the enlisted men and women, but she's laughing and beaming brighter than the moon above them so he knows that she doesn't really mind. "Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One!"

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Korra blows on a trumpet that she'd gotten from who knows where and everyone starts cheering and throwing handfuls of confetti into the air. Kai picks up Jinora and swings her around until both of them are laughing so hard that he can hardly breathe, and he trips over his own two feet and sends them sprawling to the ground in a heap. He can feel her heart beating through her clothes and her smile sends shivers down his spine. "Happy New Year, Kai," she says.

"Happy New Year, Jinora," he replies, and he means it. Even everything that's happened last year—Skoochy's death, Varrick's death, Jinora getting shot, him getting taken hostage—he's not worried for what may come.

Whatever 191 AG will bring, Kai knows he and Jinora will get through it together.


	15. The Interview

_The following is in black and white._

* * *

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Here with _United Republic Today_ , I'm Yui-Sai Fong.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** And I'm Chen Nanuq.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** This is a room in the Earth Kingdom. A room most of the men and women fighting the third year of the war would rather not see. This is an operating room in a M*A*S*H unit; that's a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. There are five of these units in the Earth Kingdom: one in Tianjiao, one in Sejong-Daero, two on opposite sides of Ba Sing Se and one in Uijeongbu. That's where we are now.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** The concept of treating wounded close to the front is being tested for the first time. This particular hospital is just three miles from the fighting, and if anything can be said to be a success in war, it is this concept.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** By bringing the wounded directly to the operating table by jeep, ambulance and helicopter, these units have achieved an effectiveness rating of ninety-seven percent. In human terms, ninety-seven out of every hundred wounded people brought here live to tell the tale.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** Who are the people behind that most impressive statistic? We brought our cameras and our microphones here to find out.

* * *

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Do you see anything good at all coming out of this war?

 **CAPTAIN KAI WEN, MD:** The answer you're probably looking for is peace, but that's going to be a given if the generals have their way and you know they will. Honestly? It would be nice if I could get out of this alive. That would be great.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** You've been here some time.

 **CAPTAIN KAI WEN, MD:** Almost two years now. Raava, when you say it like that…

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Is there anything you do to ease the distance? Be less homesick, so to say.

 **CAPTAIN KAI WEN, MD:** I drink. Anyone who's anyone here drinks. My roommates and I brew specialty moonshine. Best gasoline-flavored stuff you'll ever taste. And I write letters, of course.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** To whom do you write?

 **CAPTAIN KAI WEN, MD:** My dad, Yung. He lives in Yu Dao. Untouched by war so far, knock wood. But when I write letters to him, it eases the distance. Yeah, it does.

* * *

 **CHEN NANUQ:** What do you feel was the most difficult thing you had to adjust to over here?

 **CAPTAIN JINORA GYATSO, MD:** The time.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** The time? Why do you say that?

 **CAPTAIN JINORA GYATSO, MD:** Well, aside from the time zone difference—only took me a few days to get over the jet lag—time runs differently around here. It's hard to predict, see. Because some days there's a lull and we can sleep and eat, but most days we get up to eighteen hours in surgery dealing with the barrage of wounded. Lack of sleep and food and water all make time fuzzy. That—that was hard to adjust to.

* * *

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** How long have you been in command?

 **MAJOR KORRA ILUAK, RN:** Nearly seven months.

 **YUI-SAI FONG** : Some say it's difficult for a woman to be in command.

 **MAJOR KORRA ILUAK, RN:** I'd say it's difficult for anyone to be in command regardless of your gender. So many papers to file and people to call and supplies to ship in. Fifty-nine people to look after. Our old CO used to say that if it weren't for Sergeant Moon—that's our company clerk—this place would've gone under long ago.

 **YUI-SAI FONG** : Was it a hard decision? To run the 6152nd, I mean.

 **MAJOR KORRA ILUAK, RN:** I already had my duties as Head Nurse to contend with when Colonel Varrick died. Major Lieng and I were both next of rank, but the matter of who would be in charge of the unit ended up being me, obviously, because I was second in command and Mako said he didn't think he could be a good leader. Which is [bleep], by the way. He could be a good leader if he wanted to. But no. It wasn't a hard decision to make. Somehow I knew that it would be the right one all along.

* * *

 **CHEN NANUQ:** What's the attitude of the soldiers in regards to your work?

 **CAPTAIN BOLIN LIENG, PH.D., PSY.D:** No one likes a head-shrinker, you know. The army requires soldiers to have sessions at least every couple of months with doctors like me and no one likes spilling their secrets. The guys here like me. But when we get soldiers that come here with PTSD or battle fatigue or insomnia or think that they're Vaatu, they're all jumpy. Think that I'll send 'em to the asylum if they talk. They have respect, sure. Love, adoration, not so much.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** You had a person come in who thought he was the devil?

 **CAPTAIN BOLIN LIENG, PH.D, PSY.D:** That's a long story.

* * *

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Did medical school prepare you for this?

 **CAPTAIN JINORA GYATSO, MD:** Not really, no.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** I assumed that medical school would prepare you for working with the sick.

 **CAPTAIN JINORA GYATSO, MD:** That's what I thought in the beginning, but you've got to understand that we're not working on sick people here. We're working on hurt young people with essentially healthy bodies that have been peppered with ammunition.

* * *

 **CHEN NANUQ:** Who's the best nurse here?

 **LIEUTENANT KIYI NAKAHARA, RN:** That's not a very fair question, is it?

 **LIEUTENANT SORA TSEN, RN:** Yeah, we're all awesome.

 **LIEUTENANT OPAL BEIFONG, RN:** We all function as one unit, you know. We're all equally awesome, like Sora said.

 **LIEUTENANT ZIN YAMATO, RN:** I don't know, I think I'm pretty cool.

 **LIEUTENANT KIYI NAKAHARA, RN:** Lay off.

 **LIEUTENANT SORA TSEN, RN:** Come off it.

 **LIEUTENANT OPAL BEIFONG, RN:** Shut up Zinny.

 **LIEUTENANT XIÓNG YALI, RN:** Be quiet.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** Any of you have sweethearts back home?

 **LIEUTENANT XIÓNG YALI, RN:** Mai and Sora don't. I'm currently pen pals with a captain in the 654th—hopefully something more will come out of that later. Let's see, Kiyi's with Major Lieng, Opal's affianced now to Captain Lieng—

 **LIEUTENANT MAI CHENGUANXI, RN:** Big words, kiddo. Don't hurt yourself.

 **LIEUTENANT XIÓNG YALI, RN** : Shove off. Anyways and Zin here is with Captain Hema. You'll see her soon.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** Is it hard to keep up relationships here?

 **LIEUTENANT ZIN YAMATO, RN:** No harder here than it is at home. Just a bit more artillery to make things spicy.

* * *

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Can you describe what you do?

 **MAJOR MAKO LIENG, MD:** Essentially, I'm on call for all medical emergencies but I've never seen a situation here that wasn't an emergency.

* * *

 **MAJOR KORRA ILUAK, RN:** Our surgeons, uh, do what needs to be done. Anesthesiologist one day, orthopedist the next. Even with Bolin, psychiatrist pretty much all the time.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** Tough work.

 **MAJOR KORRA ILUAK, RN:** You've got no idea.

* * *

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** What do you do when you're not working?

 **CAPTAIN MITALI HEMA, MD:** I'm an orthopedic surgeon, usually. When I'm not working I specialize in boredom.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Tell me about that.

 **CAPTAIN MITALI HEMA, MD:** Do you mean what do I do when I'm bored? Read. Write letters. I've started to get used to the taste of Kai's alcohol. My boyfriend Zin and I hang out when we aren't on postop duty.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** How many times do you watch those training films they send over here?

 **CAPTAIN MITALI HEMA, MD:** Korra requires us to watch them every once in a while. Yeah, my personal favorites are _New Freedom Fighters are the Enemy_ and _Don't Let This Happen to You_. I'd like whatever it is to happen to us sometimes to break up the boredom.

* * *

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Do you get to meet the civilians around here? Do you know them?

 **MAJOR MAKO LIENG, MD** : Yeah, they're—they're nice people. I worry about them. I don't know how these kids live. I mean, some of them don't. And it's a horrible thing to see. There's watching children die, and then there's watching children die.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Do you help them?

 **MAJOR MAKO LIENG, MD:** We do the best we can but sometimes we have barely enough for ourselves. I really wish somebody would tell these people back home this. Stop with the bombs and grenades and guns. Help the people.

* * *

 **CHEN NANUQ:** How did your romantic affair with Colonel Iknik Blackstone Varrick begin?

 **SERGEANT ZHU LI MOON:** He fell for me first. I fell for him slowly. We started out enemies, but then we became friends and then…then we fell in love.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** Was he a good man?

 **SERGEANT ZHU LI MOON:** The best. Eccentric. Kind. Funny. Caring. All of the adjectives in the world can't describe what a man he was. Only those who knew him could possibly describe him.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** How did it feel when you got the news that he was shot down?

 **SERGEANT ZHU LI MOON:** I…I don't want to talk about that. Please. Next question.

* * *

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Got any one true love back home, Major?

 **MAJOR KORRA ILUAK, RN:** I do. And that true love of mine is fighting in this very same war with the engineers corps.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** What's your love's name?

 **MAJOR KORRA ILUAK, RN:** I'd rather not say for the sake of privacy. But if you're watching this—and I know you are somewhere, or someday you will—I love you.

* * *

 **MAJOR MAKO LIENG, MD:** My and Bolin's parents died when we were eight and six respectively and we got sent to live with our family in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se. They're great, they're all great. Took out a lot of loans to pay for our education.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** How'd you get interested in being a doctor?

 **MAJOR MAKO LIENG, MD:** My parents died. I didn't want anyone else to go through that; not if I could help it.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** And you're career army, correct?

 **MAJOR MAKO LIENG, MD:** Yes. It's a steady paycheck and has some good benefits, so…

 **CHEN NANUQ:** Is it all about work for you here?

 **MAJOR MAKO LIENG, MD:** Of course not. It wouldn't be a war if we had no fun, right? I'm lucky enough to be here with my brother and my friends and my girlfriend Lieutenant Kiyi Nakahara.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** You two been together long?

 **MAJOR MAKO LIENG, MD:** Long enough to know that I'm lucky as [bleep] to have someone like her in my life.

* * *

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Can you tell me about the people who work with you?

 **CAPTAIN KAI WEN, MD:** Finest kind anywhere. Everyone does their part. The enlisted men and women do all the tough work. Zhu Li and Korra keep it all running smoothly. Bolin provides guidance, and that's always great. Doctors carry litters. Nurses check up on doctors. The nurses are great. The nurses work very hard. They don't get nearly enough credit. They don't make 'em better anywhere.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Would you say that you're like a family?

 **CAPTAIN KAI WEN, MD:** Absolutely. I would, yes.

* * *

 **CHEN NANUQ:** How would you say it's like to work here when you aren't a member of the medical staff?

 **CORPORAL NAHRA TIKKA:** It's hard, that's for sure. Not to say that what they do isn't hard, but they get a lot of the credit. We cook and clean and stand on guard for hours through the night. We help out in the OR sometimes when they need another nurse and transport patients from the launchpad to pre-op and drive the trucks and ambulances. We do a lot.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** Captain Wen did say that the enlisted men and women do all the tough work.

 **CORPORAL NAHRA TIKKA:** Oh, I wouldn't say that. I certainly don't have the constitution to do eighteen straight hours of meatball surgery five days a week. That's tough. But I'd say we're close to the…well, pardon me for sounding so cheesy, but I'd say that we're the unsung heroes here.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** I don't think that sounds cheesy at all.

 **CORPORAL NAHRA TIKKA:** That's a relief.

* * *

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** What did you do before the war?

 **SERGEANT HAMADA KUJI:** I worked as an actor in a traveling theater troupe, believe it or not. I lived in a Fire Nation town called Shu Ting—it's really isolated, so it's fine if you haven't heard of it—and I was working my way up the ladder when I got my draft notice.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** What was your reaction when you got drafted?

 **SERGEANT HAMADA KUJI:** Oh, I was angry. I was mad at everyone and thought that I didn't deserve to go—I had a life to live, I had people that would miss me, I couldn't be a soldier. A lot of my friends ended up burning their draft cards because, well, they thought that there was no point in us fighting to defend citizens from a country inferior to ours.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** That's quite the harsh comment.

 **SERGEANT HAMADA KUJI:** I know, I know. It's awful and I wish people didn't think like that, but they do. It's been almost a hundred years since the Great War and yet the bigotry hasn't gone away. It's gotten quieter, but it hasn't gone away.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Do you think it ever will?

 **SERGEANT HAMADA KUJI:** That's a real loaded question. I hope to Raava it will, but I doubt it. Bear in mind I'm speaking from a position of privilege as a Fire Nation citizen, but I think the main problem is that ninety-something percent of the media we see stars Fire Nation people. Air Nomads aren't represented as anything other than victims, Water Tribe citizens are these brawny brute warriors, and Earth Kingdom people are usually primitive but wise elders or something like that. Most of the time we're the only ones who have the chance to play multi-faceted characters. Once people start seeing Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom and Air Nomads as, well, as people just like them, then and only then the bigotry will start dying down.

* * *

 **LIEUTENANT ZIN YAMATO, RN:** The thing about life here is that nothing is what you expect. In the face of enormous bitterness, we all strive to stay strong and happy and okay. You know? And the staff—well, you know I get [bleep] for being a male nurse but that's nothing. Mitali and Jinora get a lot of flak for being female doctors—you'd be surprised at the misogynistic comments they get from visitors. But it all works out in the end, you know? Those [bleep]s end up getting their lives saved by people they think shouldn't get their hands dirty. Irony, eh?

* * *

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** These men and women with whom you work, do you want to see them after the war?

 **CAPTAIN BOLIN LIENG, PH.D, PSY.D:** Honestly, I'm torn between the idea of the love I have for these people and wanting that relationship to continue and wanting to erase all the memories I have of this place.

* * *

 **CHEN NANUQ:** What do you think will happen if the United Republic leaves?

 **SERGEANT ZHU LI MOON:** I don't know. If I knew all the answers, I'd run for Raava's job.

* * *

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Can you tell me what you miss the most about home?

 **LIEUTENANT OPAL BEIFONG, RN:** My family. My brother got married recently to a family friend. I'd like to wish them congratulations. And I've got four brothers and my mom and dad—they've never met Bolin and we plan to get married here, but that's another story. Either way, my family is t-the thing I miss the most. Family.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Do you miss working in a real hospital?

 **LIEUTENANT OPAL BEIFONG, RN:** Who doesn't? That's just common sense. But nursing here is nursing there. Maybe a little less blood, but still.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** You like your job?

 **LIEUTENANT OPAL BEIFONG, RN:** Even after all this. Yes. Nursing is a work of heart. It's not easy to work long shifts and take [bleep] from patients and soldiers and write reports but let me tell you, Ms. Fong, it's worth it every time.

* * *

 **CAPTAIN MITALI HEMA, MD:** Back home for me is just a small town and my family. I'll still be a doctor, of course. Work in the local practice. It'd be vastly different from here and I'd miss everyone like crazy but…but it's a plan.

* * *

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** And where is home for you?

 **LIEUTENANT KIYI NAKAHARA, RN:** Home for me is back in Republic City. My family emigrated there from Capital City when I was fourteen, so I had a few problems adjusting. I was kind of quiet—still am, as anyone around here will tell you.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Do you have a sort of camaraderie with the others from the Fire Nation?

 **LIEUTENANT KIYI NAKAHARA, RN:** Kind of. Like Zin and Xióng, they're from the Fire Nation and we have a couple of inside jokes between us about the things we've seen and our hometowns and the Fire Lord—nothing bad. Just some jokes.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** And what of those who aren't from the Fire Nation? Do you get along with the doctors and nurses and assorted personnel from, say, the Earth Kingdom?

 **LIEUTENANT KIYI NAKAHARA, RN:** We all get along. I mean, we've all grown to be one big family around here so it isn't like we're all split up into groups revolving around where we came from. Just 'cause Kai's from the Earth Kingdom and Jinora's from Republic City doesn't mean that they can't be together. Same with Zin and Mitali and…and Mako and myself. We've all looked past our differences and embraced them. I kind of wish that the president and Hotah Deng could do the same.

* * *

 **CHEN NANUQ:** Would you ever consider coming back to the army after this?

 **LIEUTENANT SORA TSEN, RN:** No. Not after all that we've faced. Like I love the people I've met and I love being a nurse. Just the sight of all of the blood and gore and pointless violence all day every day has kinda turned me off from the army.

 **LIEUTENANT MAI CHENGUANXI, RN:** What she said. Don't get me wrong, I admire everyone that is here full-time. I just don't have the guts to join up permanently.

 **LIEUTENANT XIÓNG YALI, RN:** I might join up if I didn't have to work hands-on. I feel like those who sit in the cushy chairs at HQ enjoy the war and the army more than we do. That's why they're always the ones reenlisting.

* * *

 **MAJOR KORRA ILUAK, RN:** We've lost people here, of course. We aren't perfect. It always hurts though when we lose some of our own. It's like losing a family member.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Elaborate please, Major.

 **MAJOR KORRA ILUAK, RN:** Recently one of our corpsmen, Corporal Nilak, got sent to Gaoling for therapy 'cause he was shot in the back during a sniper raid. Our old commanding officer Colonel Iknik Blackstone Varrick died 'cause his plane got sh-shot down over the Si Wong Desert. Before Jinora we had a chest surgeon, Skoochy Nakamura, who was shot in the back during a sniper raid and died on the table. And even before that, way back in the beginning of the war one of our doctors, Captain Isamu Chouko, got his throat slit by one of our patients. It's all—losing people hurts like a punch to the gut. Like a hundred punches to the gut. B-but we're all like family. We're resilient. We get through things or die trying.

* * *

 **CAPTAIN KAI WEN, MD:** When I get home, I'd like to take six to seven months and become unconscious. Just sleep, not do anything, not go anyplace not have anything asked of me. Then I'd take a shower, eat like crazy…lather, rinse, repeat.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** I understand that you're in a relationship with Captain Jinora Gyatso. Will you keep it up when you get back?

 **CAPTAIN KAI WEN, MD:** You know, when I first came here I didn't think I'd ever have a real relationship with any girl. Flings, of course. But not a real relationship. And then I met Jinora, and she's just…perfect. The greatest, smartest girl I've ever met. You know? You have a girl like that?

 **CHEN NANUQ:** I'd like to think so. I'm married.

 **CAPTAIN KAI WEN, MD:** Then you know, don't you? But I love her and for some ungodly reason she loves me too. And—and of course we will keep up the relationship. Whether long distance or in Republic City or in Yu Dao, we'll keep it up. I'm going to fight for us.

* * *

 **CAPTAIN JINORA GYATSO, MD:** I once read a book that said, "It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell." And it is. It is horrible. It's horrible to see people die and have the cycle reverse all the time. But even though the war is horrible, I'm still grateful to have come here because otherwise I never would have met Kai and the others. I never would have fallen in love with the most wonderful man I know.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Will you still keep up your relationship when the war ends?

 **CAPTAIN JINORA GYATSO, MD:** Yes. Yes, we will.

* * *

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** With the end of an armistice comes artillery, and now the people of the 6152nd are doing the work that they do best but would rather not be doing at all in a place they'd rather not be.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** But our chances for peace are getting better, folks. In fact, Hotah Deng and President Akiyama will soon arrive in Sejong-Daero to begin the peace talks. I'd mark down the next few days on your calendar if I were you—the end of the war is closer than you think.

 **YUI-SAI FONG:** Here with _United Republic Today_ , I'm Yui-Sai Fong.

 **CHEN NANUQ:** And I'm Chen Nanuq. Thanks for watching.

* * *

 _Fade to black._

* * *

 _Writing in the style of an interview transcript was definitely something new so I hope it turned out alright. I decided to post these two chapters together so the wait for the next chapter wouldn't be as unbearable - the plan is to finish 'sometimes you hear the bullet' by January 3rd, two years from the day that I posted it on ao3. And though I plan on writing a much longer author's note to go with the end of this fic, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you to all of you for continuing to tune into this story for the last two years._

 _I look forward to seeing you all (and hearing from you all) for the finale._


	16. Lights Out

Nearly two years stationed in the warring part of the Earth Kingdom have taught Kai a lot about irony. For example, it's ironic that the most intimate partner of life is death. It's also ironic that one can tire so quickly of their comfort zone—he's so sick of surgery and subsequently watching kids die that sometimes he just wants to pack it in and pickle himself in a bottle of bad booze. But one of the greatest ironies in life is how often armistices and truces will end with a bang.

The truce talks begin the day after Yui-Sai Fong and Chen Nanuq and their camera crew leave Uijeongbu to produce their documentary, but the bang that ends the temporary armistice leads to at least a hundred more, and the next thing Kai knows the whole unit is swamped with wounded again. Korra thinks that the generals must be serious about peace this time because the fighting has gotten worse and there's more casualties than ever before—those damn New Freedom Fighters just want to grab as much real estate as possible before signing a peace agreement, and anyone who gets in their way ends up on Kai's operating table.

In addition to being swamped by truckloads of wounded every day or so, they're helping to shelter some Earth Kingdom citizens from nearby towns that have been declared active warzones. Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji have been setting up tents in the large compound of level ground in the middle of the 6152nd, and although Korra is nothing but welcoming and gracious to the refugees, Kai knows that she's worried about the amount of food they have and if it'll be enough for everyone. (All the same, he and the others have started cutting back on their portion sizes. The families need it more.)

After his required two hours in postop, where he'd been examining a little girl who had contracted a bad case of pellagra from the journey here, he takes a break in the mess tent with Jinora and Opal and Bolin, drinking tea and playing cards and gossiping like old times. It's nearly empty except for them and Xióng and Kiyi, who are at another table talking quietly to each other. "Anyone have a six or a queen?" he asks, eager for victory. Opal slaps down a queen of diamonds on the table, and he reluctantly takes it and the whole stack. "Spirits, Opal, you suck."

"Strong language there, Captain Wen," Jinora says. Her eyes rove over him once and then soften slightly. "You alright? What's wrong?"

"I had to treat one of the newcomers for pellagra." Jinora and Opal wince in sympathy; Bolin just shakes his head and puts down a seven of clubs. "We've got to do something about the refugees. I mean, I don't want them to leave but the tents we've set up aren't exactly sanitary and diseases keep spreading."

"I know what you mean," Bolin says. "I was helping out Mako in postop yesterday and he said that so many people got dysentery on the way over here that Korra sent Sergeant Igoru to dig a new latrine."

"Just a minute." Opal's cheeks turn a vague shade of green. "He handles the food and digs latrines?"

"Don't worry, Opal, he always washes his hands before he digs the latrines." Jinora's lips twitch slightly and Kai chokes on his tea. Bolin disguises his laughter as a series of coughs when Opal glares at him. "Anyone have a ten?"

Just as Kai is about to put down the three tens that he's been hoarding for the last few minutes, there's a piercing shriek and he spills tea on his shirt in his haste to turn around and see what the hell is going on. As it turns out the shriek belongs to Xióng, who almost trips over her own two feet sprinting out of the mess tent.

Jinora turns to Kiyi, who's half-sitting half-standing and looks nonplussed. "What's with her?"

"I—I don't know?" Kiyi bites her lip and looks down at her feet like she's afraid she'll be blamed for Xióng's lapse of sanity. "She didn't say anything to me before she did that."

"Then I guess we ought to go after her and see what the deal is," Bolin says. Kai wrings out the front of his shirt, puts his jacket and gloves back on—the war may be ending soon but it's just as freezing outside as ever—and follows Jinora, Opal, Bolin, and Kiyi outside.

Xióng has stopped in between the refugees' tents and the medical staff's tents, and she's uncharacteristically speechless. Zhu Li is right beside her with her ever-present clipboard, and Kai sees Korra walking as fast as she can toward the source of the commotion. Korra's still in her scrubs, which makes Kai feel a little better for not having washed his dress uniform in over a week, but her hair is perfectly combed and she looks as poised as usual. _Maybe she made a deal with the devil when she became our commanding officer to look as professional as possible no matter the scenario_ , he thinks _._ All of the other doctors are spilling out of their tents and Private Akuyama abandons his cigarette to join everyone. Jinora takes the initiative and pushes through the throng of people, taking his hand and pulling him along with her.

"Holy shit," she says, standing on her tiptoes for a moment. "I think—I think that that's Captain Tran."

"What?" Kai feels like there must be something wrong with his hearing. "You're kidding."

But sure enough, once Kai and Jinora make their way to the front of the crowd, Captain Ho-Jon Tran (formerly of the 654th and Asami's ragtag group of POWs) is standing there with about ten New Freedom Fighters at his side, all of whom smell like they've been bathing in the nearby garbage dump for a week straight. He's grinning sheepishly at Xióng, who has her hands clasped tightly under her chin and looks as though she will faint from joy at any moment. "Hello, everyone," he says. Upon seeing Korra, he freezes up and almost falls over in her haste to salute her. Kai stifles his laugh in Jinora's shoulder and she playfully swats him away. "Major Iluak."

"At ease, Captain Tran." Korra sounds remarkably calm for a commanding officer whose unit has been invaded by a man who they haven't seen in months and a group of New Freedom Fighters. "Not that it's not good to see you, but what are you doing here?"

"Oh!" He relaxes at once and reaches into his the pocket of his jacket, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper that he hands to Korra. "Orders from General Raiko, ma'am. I've been sent to guard these prisoners for a couple of days 'til the POW exchange in Tianjiao, and since your unit's a safe zone now…" His voice trails off. "So, er, here I am."

Korra is clearly wondering the same thing as Kai, which is how the hell the 6152nd came to be classified as a safety zone when the shelling keeps getting closer and closer every day, but she handles the news with grace and nods. "Right you are," she says, as though she's been expecting him for days and simply forgot to mention it to everyone. A vein in Zhu Li's forehead is close to popping and she looks ready to have a nervous breakdown; not that Kai can blame her. "You can stay in the VIP tent, I'm sure." Kai hears Sergeant Kuji, who is standing behind him, quietly thank Raava that he and Corporal Tikka don't have to set up another tent. "And—as for the POWs—"

"The procedure's outlined in Raiko's letter, Major," Captain Tran says, sidling over to her and pointing out the relevant section. "Right there, third paragraph."

Korra visibly swallows. "Um," she says eloquently. "It says we need to set up a barbed wire enclosure for the POWs here."

"Since it's temporary and you're not actually housing them, you don't have to build barracks," Captain Tran tells her. "General Raiko says he didn't want to inconvenience you." Zhu Li rolls her eyes, and he frowns. "Permission to speak freely, ma'am?"

"Always, Captain."

"I know General Raiko said it's not a problem but I know better, and I'm sorry to inconvenience you and your unit," he says genuinely. "And I know Raiko's orders are bullshit but it'll only be for a couple of days, and then we'll be out of your hair for good."

Kai sees Korra relax a little and then she gives the captain a genuine smile. "I'll hold you to that," she says. "Corporal Tikka, Sergeant Kuji, get the barbed wire enclosure set up near the VIP tent. Zhu Li—"

"I'll get HQ on the phone and ask for a few military policemen to be sent down, as per General Raiko's orders."

"—get HQ on…oh, never mind. You know what to do." Zhu Li salutes Korra and runs back to her office to do what's been asked of her. "Captain Tran, I'd appreciate it if you stayed with the POWs until the enclosure is built, so if you could go to the mess tent with all of them and keep out of the way for about an hour that'd be great." Captain Tran seems fine with that, as do the POWs. Kai wonders if they've gotten a chance to get out of the cold at all today. "And as for everyone else…"

Then Zhu Li reappears at Korra's side and hands Korra an envelope. "From the PX, Major," she says. "It's urgent."

Brows furrowing, Korra takes the envelope from Zhu Li and opens it. She unfolds the piece of paper inside and her eyes roam over it quickly, the frown on her lips growing more and more pronounced with every moment. "The rest of you are dismissed," she finally says. She doesn't look pleased at all—does the letter have anything to do with Lieutenant Sato? Kai hopes not. "Except for Captain Gyatso."

Kai's head shoots up. Jinora turns around to meet his panicked expression with one of her own before she faces Korra again and says, "Me, Major?" as though there's another Captain Gyatso that Korra could have meant.

"Yes, Captain. My office. Now."

* * *

Jinora spends the two minute walk to Korra's office replaying everything she's done over the last forty-eight hours just in case she'd forgotten that she'd pissed off Korra in some way, but she comes up empty. She and Kai haven't pulled any pranks in ages; all she's done is her work and hang out with Kai or Mitali or Opal, and she knows that Korra doesn't have a problem with any of that. So what could the problem be?

After five minutes of sitting in Korra's office half-listening to Korra whisper to Zhu Li, she clears her throat. "Er, Korra?" she ventures. "Did I…do something wrong?"

"What?" Korra looks like she has no idea how Jinora had come to this conclusion. "No, you didn't. You're fine. You didn't do anything, just—" She gestures at Zhu Li. "Zhu Li, give her the letter."

A numbing, fearful cold spreads through Jinora's veins. Is it from her family? Is something wrong with them? Raava forbid, has someone died? Hands shaking, she casts her eyes down on the paper.

 _RECEIVED BY UIJEONGBU POST EXCHANGE_

 _Date: 7 January 194 AG_

 _To the attention of Major Korra Iluak, RN:_

 _This is to certify that Jinora Gyatso: 01101212, Captain, Medical Corps, 6152_ _nd_ _Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, has received all the necessary points as stated in her terms of service and is hereby honorably discharged from the military service of the United Republic._

 _Signed,_

 _General Wuneng Osina_

Stunned beyond comprehension, all Jinora can say is, "What the _hell_? _"_

"You've been discharged, Captain Gyatso," says Zhu Li. Her back is turned; she's rummaging through a file cabinet. Korra is pinching the bridge of her nose so hard that Jinora is worried her fingernails will leave permanent indents by accident. "You earned all of your…your points." Her voice breaks, and Jinora suddenly remembers learning of Varrick's discharge several months ago. The numbing cold returns at once.

"This doesn't seem possible," Korra says, removing her hand. Sure enough, there are the indents. "Osina wouldn't discharge one of my surgeons without telling me."

"I guess this letter counts as him telling you," Jinora says weakly. She's very glad that she's sitting down because she's not sure she can stand without falling down. Confusion and elation and sadness keep warring inside of her and she blinks several times, looking down again at the letter just to make sure it really is about her. "Maybe you should call I-Corps to confirm."

"And what happens if they deny it? Or worse, if they do confirm it?" Korra exhales loudly. "Look, Jin, as your friend I'm happy for you but as the commanding officer of this unit this really throws a wrench in things. Not to mention that it's not fair to everyone else; a lot of people have been here longer than you have and—"

That snaps Jinora out of her trance. Is Korra saying what she thinks she's saying? "I can't just give my discharge to someone else, Korra! That's not how this works!"

"I know that's not how that works—that came out wrong, I'm sorry." Irritation seeps into Korra's voice. Zhu Li straightens up, closes the file cabinet and leaves the room, apparently aware of some impending disaster. "I can't run a mobile hospital without surgeons; who's supposed to replace you?"

"I don't know, okay? Haven't you always said that there's a bunch of surgeons cooling their heels with General Osina at Ba Sing Se HQ? That's where we got that stiff Captain Riku from when Mako was on leave—why can't we use one of them?"

"You know perfectly well that that was a different circumstance entirely." Now Korra sounds like she's trying very hard not to lose her temper. Jinora can sympathize. "Requesting a new doctor takes ages, especially with I-Corps being in such a state of clusterfuck now that the peace talks are in session, and we don't have that kind of time. That's why I think that it would be in the best interests of the wounded and the unit if you didn't adhere to the terms of the letter."

Jinora opens her mouth and closes it, speechless. "Are you—are you telling me to go against the orders of the military?" she asks incredulously. The irony of Major Korra Iluak, career army nurse since the age of seventeen, trying to convince Jinora to go against the orders of General Osina is not lost on her, and a smile twitches on her lips. " _You?_ "

"Yeah," Korra says. "Me."

Her smile fades at once. Sweet Spirits, Korra really isn't kidding. "Are you kidding me?" she demands, her anger returning like it had never left. "You can't ask that of me, Korra—I—just—how can you sit there and ask me to give up my freedom and the chance to go back home to stay here and—and fish bullets out of soldiers sixteen hours a day? Is that really what you want me to do?"

"Actually, yes, it is!" Korra retorts. "I figured you'd put your duty to your country and the oath you took in medical school before your own personal needs, but—"

"Hang on a minute, where the hell do you get off talking about my own personal needs? This isn't some trivial decision, Korra; it's General Osina's orders and more importantly it's my life, damn it!"

Korra slams her hands down on her desk, and the sound startles Jinora so much that she sits back down in her chair. "Fine," she snaps. "Fine, it's your life. You're thirty years old and you can make your own decisions. So decide what you're going to do. Decide whether or not you're going to adhere to his orders and go home or stay here and help people in need."

She breathes out and looks down at the letter, smoothing out the side that she had crumpled by accident. She'd once dreaded going home to Republic City because it meant she would have to marry Akash and give up her career to be a housewife, but now that her engagement's been severed, things are different. She'll be able to see her family again; hug her parents, talk to Rohan about his star charts, tease Ikki and Meelo. Her position as a chest surgeon at Southwest General is waiting for her. No more war, no more bombs and sniper attacks. She'll be truly safe for the first time in almost a year.

But there's matters here to consider too. They need her here at the 6152nd; who's to say that Korra will be able to find another chest surgeon on such short notice? And even if she can work past the guilt of abandoning soldiers in need, she doesn't know if she can look at her friends and tell them that she is leaving right when the going is getting tough. And what about Kai? They've been through so much over the last year—Varrick's death, her getting shot, him getting declared dead, him being taken hostage, her parents' disapproval—and now…

She's suddenly reminded of the interview with Yui-Sai Fong and Chen Nanuq—she and Kai had both said that they would fight for each other, for their relationship. What will happen to their relationship if she leaves now?

 _The military is ordering you to leave,_ a tiny voice murmurs. _They say that your time is up. No one's paying you overtime for this, Gyatso. Are you seriously going to go against the orders of the military?_

Before coming to Uijeongbu, she never would have dreamed of going against anyone's orders. But if there's anything that the people she's met here have taught her, it's that anything's possible if someone's got the nerve for it.

Jinora opens her mouth to answer Korra's challenge, but the sound of screams and the loud spluttering of an engine cut her off. Bewildered, she says instead, "What the hell is that?"

In answer, Korra races outside with Jinora on her heels just in time for both of them to see a tank rise ominously from the gully behind the latrine. For a moment it heads toward two corpsmen that Jinora can't recognize from where she's standing, and the terror clutching her heart loosens its grip only slightly when the tank veers toward the latrine instead, crushing it right before Jinora's eyes. Finally, it comes to a stop on a pile of rubble, and everyone unfreezes. Korra and Jinora jog over to the tank, but Mako is already there to berate the driver the moment the hatch opens. "Don't you know this is a hospital area?" he's yelling. "What's the matter with you? You drive that thing like it's a lethal weapon!"

"Mako," Korra says sharply. Whatever conclusion Korra had come to is made apparent to everyone gathered nearby when the driver slumps bonelessly onto the turret of the tank—he's clearly wounded, and badly at that. "He's hurt. Somebody get a gurney!"

"Right." To Mai and Sora, who are standing speechlessly nearby, Mako snaps, "Go prep the OR for the tank driver _now_. And on your way there go yell for Kai and Mitali—we're gonna need an anesthesiologist and our head surgeon's diagnosis before we start doing anything."

Private Akuyama and Sergeant Kuji carefully lift the wounded driver out of the tank and onto a waiting gurney, where he is wheeled down the hill by Mako, Korra, and Jinora. "M'sorry," the man is saying. His voice is slurred and every time he draws a breath Jinora can hear the telltale sounds of a collapsed lung. This is probably going to be her jurisdiction, then. "Tank—broke down earlier. Got fired on while—while we were making repairs."

"We?" Korra repeats. "Where's the rest of your crew, then?"

"Gone. All g-gone."

Jinora curses under her breath, closely followed by Mako. The driver starts apologizing wearily again but Korra cuts him off. "Don't speak," she says. "We'll fix you up and then we'll talk further, okay?"

None of them say what they're all thinking, which is _provided that you make it that far._

* * *

After an hour and a half in surgery fixing up the wounded tank driver, Kai's feet hurt and his back aches but he's satisfied with the man's chances of survival. They'd used up a few bits of their precious morphine to knock him out before fixing his collapsed lung (with Jinora offering advice every few minutes) and perforated bowel. Mako and Jinora agree with Kai in that the man will make a full recovery, but the word from Corporal Tikka is that Sergeant Igoru is angry that he'll have to build another latrine for the refugees now that the tank had crushed that one. Korra and Zhu Li will probably make it up to Igoru somehow—they're already working on getting the damn tank out of the area—so Kai's not worried about that.

What he is worried about is why Jinora has pulled him sideways into the supply tent on their way back to the Swamp. She looks as serious as sin and worry makes his heart hammer against his ribs so loudly that he's nervous the enemy will be alerted to their location, and she pulls a piece of paper out of her jacket pocket. "Kai," she says quietly. "I have—I have something to tell you."

 _Oh Raava please don't let it be as bad as I think it's going to be._ "Okay."

"I got…a letter." Jinora inhales. "It's not—it's…well. I got all of my points and the army discharged me."

Something must be wrong with his hearing. "You—what?"

"I've been discharged from the army," Jinora repeats. "I got all of my points."

His head is spinning. This can't be happening. Jinora can't have been discharged; she's barely been here a year. How can she have earned all of her points? And furthermore, what is the army thinking discharging one of their surgeons right when the war is ending? It's not right. It's not _fair_. He'd thought that they would be together until the end but this. This has really thrown him for a loop. Throat tight, he manages to choke out, "W-when are you going?" He's going to have to make the most of their time together before she leaves. Before she leaves him.

"I—" She presses her lips together. "I—that's the thing, Kai. I don't think I am."

He blinks once, then twice. "I don't understand."

"Korra and I were talking in her office—that's why she and Zhu Li called me in there, because of the letter that they got from General Osina—and she told me that I had to make a decision about adhering to Osina's orders or staying here and helping those in need and—and I thought about it and I think I'm going to stay."

The relief that follows her statement comes so swiftly and suddenly that it feels like he's been kicked in the stomach. "Oh," he says stupidly. "Well, that's great!" Then he pauses. "That's great, isn't it?"

"It—it is, yes. I mean, I can hold off seeing my family because I know it's for a—for a greater good." Jinora looks up to meet his gaze and he's shook to his core to see her eyes filling up with tears. "But Kai—what about us? What's going to happen to us once the war's over? I want to see my family again and I know you want to see Yung again and—and we can't be in two places at once and if I was this worried about how our relationship was going to go because of—of this, then how are we going to make it work once the war's over?"

Kai opens his mouth and closes it, trying to process everything Jinora's said. "Jinora," he says quietly, but anything else he can say is prevented by Jinora beginning to cry. He reacts automatically, putting his arm around her and bringing her closer to him. He can feel her shoulders shuddering as she tries to suppress her tears, and a lump rises in his throat. They've been so focused on getting approval for their relationship that they've never given much thought to how it'll work once they leave Uijeongbu. And Jinora's right—he hasn't seen his father in almost two years and he misses Yung so much that some days rereading his old letters aren't enough to stave off homesickness. He knows she misses her family too. How are they going to choose between their families and each other?

"I'm sorry," Jinora mumbles, and he presses a clumsy kiss to the top of her head.

"Don't be," he says firmly. "Really, Jin. Please don't cry. We'll—we'll make it work. We'll figure it out." He smiles shakily. "You aren't getting rid of me that easily."

* * *

After Yung had finalized his adoption, Kai had had to work hard in school to catch up with his peers. They'd teased him having trouble with reading and math, but Yung had been nothing but patient. He'd even introduced Kai to a few of his late wife's favorite poems, and Kai still remembers one of them to this day. Well, not the whole thing, just the last two lines: _This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but with a whimper._ He remembers asking Yung what that meant, and Yung had replied that the ending was a reference to the Hundred Years War and the deadly weaponry that had been used then, and he'd reassured Kai that they would never die at the hands of weapons like that.

Now, as he's hiding under a table in the mess tent with Jinora while the sound from the bombs outside threaten to destroy his eardrums, he's not so sure.

It had all happened so suddenly. One second he and Jinora and the other members of the medical staff are inside the mess tent, commiserating about the latest influx of wounded and the POWs. Xióng had been talking to Captain Tran about Xanten, Sora and Mai and Kiyi had been telling funny jokes to a newly-arrived family of four, Korra had been deep in discussion with Mako, Bolin and Opal were both writing letters to their families, Mitali and Zin had been in postop, and he and Jinora had been trying to steer the topics of conversation away from their post-war relationship. Then the far away wail of a siren outside had rooted everyone to their spots, and Korra had yelled, "Everyone hit the deck!" just as the shelling had started.

"Are you okay?" Kai is shaken out of his trance by Jinora's hand on his shoulder. She's speaking louder than normal to make herself heard over all of the noise but the increase of volume just makes her panic even more palpable. "Kai? Kai, talk to me!"

"I'm here," he croaks out. He pinches his wrist hard to make sure he's not dreaming and lets out a shaky breath. From his spot under the table he can see Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji hurrying the refugees toward the safety of the OR and postop and Korra's office, anything to get them out of the way of danger. "Shit."

Korra suddenly appears under their table, closely followed by Mako, Xióng, and Captain Tran. "You two okay?" she demands, and she relaxes only marginally when both of them give her an affirmative. "Spirits fucking damn it mother of shit, I am going to _kill_ whoever decided to bomb us." Korra only really swears when she's angry, and Kai's never seen her this angry in all the time that he's known her. And speaking of the bombing…

"Why the hell are we getting bombed anyway?" Kai asks. Everyone turns to look at him. "We haven't gotten the direct brunt of shelling in ages."

"He's got a point," Mako says. "The last time this happened was because the New Freedom Fighters thought General Osina was staying here but they missed us and ended up bombing the crap out of the woods nearby." Raava, Kai remembers that. That had been during his first month here, and he'd never prayed harder for a miracle in his life. If only he'd known then that that wouldn't even be the worst thing he'd witness during his time in Uijeongbu; not even top ten.

"So what are you saying?" Jinora says. "That they're bombing us because they think we have something they want?"

The answer hits the six of them all at the same time, but Korra is the first one to say it. "The _tank_ ," she hisses, her eyes narrowing to slits. "They're firing at the damn tank. I swear—" Another shell explodes in the compound and cuts off the rest of her sentence.

"Can you ask I-Corps to get rid of the tank?" Xióng asks. "They could send someone down."

Korra bites her lip. "Zhu Li and I have been trying, but we can't get through to them. I tried to call General Osina earlier but the line went dead and as soon as this is over, I'm calling him again."

"That's great and all, Major," Captain Tran says nervously, his eyes flickering from Xióng and the others to the commotion outside, "but those POWs are locked up out there like sitting turtle-ducks."

Kai feels horrible for not giving the POWs a second thought, but to be fair he'd been kind of preoccupied with his own safety. Korra winces. "I know, Captain," she says. "But I don't know what to do to get them to safety short of running out there and risking certain death."

Xióng's eyes widen. "Ho-Jon," she says cautiously. "Please stop thinking whatever you're thinking."

"I promised them that I'd get them to Tianjiao for the POW exchange," Captain Tran says seriously. For a moment the shelling makes them all flinch but the captain presses on, undeterred. "I promised them that they'd see their families again, and I'm not going to let them die like this." He takes Xióng's hand and kisses it. "I've got to do this."

Her eyes tear up. "Don't do this," she whispers. Her voice is so quiet that Kai can barely hear her over the noise. "Please."

"I've got to, Xióng," he repeats. Before anyone else can try to talk him out of it, he crawls out from under the table and dashes out of the mess tent. Kai and the others crawl out after them and get to their feet at once, watching tensely. Xióng's hands are clasped so tightly together that her knuckles are turning white.

Captain Tran rushes across the camp and reaches the regulations-sanctioned barbed wire enclosure (damn Raiko and his rules, honestly). He tears the door open and gestures for the POWs to get out, screaming at the top of his lungs for them to make a run for it to postop, where Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji are waiting with open arms. One does and the rest follow.

Kai's heart is in his throat. Captain Tran is about to follow them to safety when a shout from one of the POWs causes him to turn around. The POW in question looks to be in his early twenties, and in his haste to exit the enclosure he'd scratched his leg hard against the barbed wire. His left leg is bleeding something fierce and he can barely walk.

"They'll never make it," Korra says hoarsely.

Kai's response is cut off by someone knocking him aside, and he doesn't even realize what's happening until Sora screams. That's—oh shit that's _Xióng_ , running as fast as her legs can take her toward Captain Tran and the prisoner with the bleeding leg. Xióng Yali, the carefree happy-go-lucky gossip of the 6152nd, whose best friends are watching her run toward certain death the same way people watch Satomobile accidents, is risking her life to save two more.

 _If she and Tran make it,_ he thinks numbly, _Korra is definitely going to kill them._

Xióng slings the man's left arm around her shoulders and orders him to put his right arm around Captain Tran's shoulders. It's a bit like watching a three-legged race with much higher stakes than a ribbon or a medal—they're hobbling as fast as they can and the man in the middle keeps tripping and his face is screwed up in pain, but they're moving.

They're less than a hundred feet away from postop when another shell explodes directly in front of them. Dirt and debris burst away from the ground and scatter everywhere, large flakes of ash fall like it's a hailstorm, and one of the abandoned tents of the refugees catches on fire. Xióng, Captain Tran, and the man they've worked so hard to help are knocked to the ground from the force of the blast.

This time Sora's not the only one who's screaming. Kiyi stumbles her way to the door but Mako holds her back. "Kiyi, don't—"

"She's my friend!" Kiyi shouts, tearing out of his grip with strength Kai hadn't known she'd had and whirling around to face him. "I have to help her! We can't just stand here, Mako, we have to help her!"

Kai doesn't bother waiting. He rushes out of the mess tent and sprints to the three people on the ground, Jinora and Korra and the others two steps behind him. He gets to Captain Tran first, who is limp and unconscious and he's lying sideways over Xióng's body like he'd meant to shield her from the worst of the blast. Kai turns the captain over and bile immediately burns his throat.

Tran's head is bloody. Blood is coming out of one ear. And upon closer review, the back of his skull is caved in like someone had beaten it with a hammer. The shelling must have knocked some debris against Captain Tran's head, killing him instantly.

He hears retching behind him and doesn't turn around to see who it is. "He's dead," he says unnecessarily. "He…" _He risked his life to save the POWs and died to save Xióng. Oh Raava, I hope he wasn't in any pain._ "He's dead."

Kiyi falls to her knees beside the prisoner, but her lips tremble as the man looks up at her. "I don't feel good," he whispers. He sounds like he's speaking through a mouthful of cotton, and tears prick Kai's eyes. "I…I can't see."

"I'm here," says Kiyi. Her voice is calm. Too calm. "It's okay." She fumbles and grabs his hand, holding it tightly. "Keep holding my hand."

"I'm…h-holding it. I c-can't feel it." He's rambling to himself, sounding weaker and weaker with every passing moment. The rumbling of the shelling has stopped for the moment, but Kai can't bring himself to care about what that means. None of them move or breathe. "Oh Raava, I'm gonna die."

She doesn't deny it, and that just makes everything worse. "Just keep breathing. I'm here. Do you see me? Can you hear me?"

"I…" He tries to swallow but gives up halfway through, letting out a weak cough. "I smell bread."

"It'll be alright," Kiyi promises, but before she can even finish her sentence the man before them exhales quietly and goes still after a final shudder. Dead. Dead and gone, never to see his family again. _I didn't even know his name. I don't think any of us did._

Kiyi bursts into tears and buries her face in Mako's chest, and he rubs her back soothingly, whispering platitudes. Kai wants to join her and cry for a couple of hours too but there's more work to be done and one more person to examine. He tries to move but he can't, and his hands are shaking too much to feel for a proper pulse. "Someone," he croaks out. "Someone check on Xióng, please."

In the end, Jinora is the only one brave enough to do it. "She's alive," she says after what seems like several small eternities. "She's breathing alright. I think she just got knocked out."

"Let's get her into postop and check for a concussion." Korra gulps. "C'mon. We'll find…we'll find a place to b-bury the others in a bit."

Once all of the medical staff is inside postop, Korra is immediately pulled aside by Zhu Li, Corporal Tikka, and Sergeant Kuji, and Bolin and Opal reluctantly leave Xióng's side to go and help Mako and Kiyi calm down the terrified refugees and the remaining prisoners of war. Jinora, Kai, Sora, and Mai find a quiet corner in the back of the room and lay Xióng down on a cot, using two pillows to prop her head up.

"What happened?" Kai's startled out of his wits when Zin suddenly appears at his side, his eyes so wide that he's worried they'll pop out of the nurse's head if they aren't careful. "What's wrong with Xióng?"

"She and Captain Tran went to save the POWs," Mai says. Sora is crying too hard to speak, and Jinora has enveloped her in a hug. "Captain Tran's dead. So is one of the New Freedom Fighters. Tran died shielding Xióng from the worst of the explosion."

"Fuck," Zin curses. "Fucking hell."

"That's what war is, though." He's unaware that he'd spoken out loud until they all cast strange looks at him. "War is a hell unlike any other."

Twenty minutes later, Xióng's eyes start fluttering open and she blinks blearily at everyone gathered around her cot. Zin leaves to go and get Korra, and she appears at the nurse's side so quickly that Kai's unsure if she'd ever left at all. "Hey, Xióng," she says softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Xióng says. Her voice is even softer than Korra's, like this is all happening in a dream. A crooked smile appears on her lips. "Still alive, at least."

Her comment causes a pang right in his gut as he thinks about the news someone must eventually give her. Korra blinks but doesn't outwardly react. Kai's glad that Mai had taken Sora outside for a cigarette break earlier because he's pretty sure that Sora would have started crying then and there at Xióng's response.

Her brow furrows. "Where's…where's Ho-Jon? Is he okay?" She begins to sit up and pulls away the blanket that someone had tucked around her, but Kai finds the strength to reach out and stop her. She stares at him, clearly afraid. "Kai?"

Raava help him. He feels tears welling in his eyes and surely Xióng will be able to tell something's wrong if he starts crying.

"He's—" Korra's voice cuts off suddenly and she breathes in through her nose. "He's not here."

"What?" Now she sounds more awake, and even more scared. "Why? Where is he?" The tears are trailing down his face now. Beside him, Jinora sniffles as she starts crying too, and Korra's stoic façade is starting to crack a little. He can see Xióng's breath speed up and snag in her throat like a piece of clothing on barbed wire. "No. No—please. Please tell me you're lying."

Korra takes Xióng's hands and doesn't look away. "I'm so sorry, Xióng," she replies. "I wish I could say we're lying but Ho-Jon's gone. He's…he's dead."

Xióng's body begins to tremble as the haze of impossible hope suddenly vanishes. She opens her mouth and closes it twice. Her face is utterly blank, like Zhu Li's had been after her announcement that Varrick had died, but he has a feeling that she just doesn't want to break down in front of them. "No…" She gulps, and a few tears slide past the gates of composure. She hurriedly swipes them away. "Oh Raava, _no_ , please Raava no…" The rest of her self-control crumbles like an avalanche, and she starts to sob. Horrible, heartbroken sobs, sobs that no one should ever have to utter. "No, no, no…"

There's silence for precisely seven seconds, and then Corporal Tikka arrives at Korra's side. "Major Iluak," she says, eyeing Xióng nervously. "Sergeant Moon says that she's got General Osina on the phone for you to yell at."

Korra doesn't laugh, though under better circumstances she might have. "Was that her exact phrasing, Corporal?"

"N-no, ma'am. But Zhu Li says he doesn't have much time and—and all due respect, Major, if you want to yell at him about the mortar attacks, the time is now."

Korra looks over at Xióng, who is still sobbing. "Xióng, will you be okay if I leave for a few minutes?"

Xióng doesn't respond, but Zin does. "I'll stay with her, Korra." He pats Xióng's hand, but the nurse beside him doesn't even appear to notice the touch. "Go on."

Korra's eyes soften and she nods resolutely. "Thank you, Zin," she says quietly, and then she turns on her heel and follows Corporal Tikka out of postop.

Kai and Jinora exchange a look. "So," Jinora says. "Would it be…bad if we followed her?"

"No." Kai had watched the nameless New Freedom Fighter die in Kiyi's arms. He had watched refugees screaming and terrified children running for their lives from the shelling. He had watched Captain Tran sacrifice himself to save the prisoners of war. Anger, hot and thick, comes to a boil in his gut, and he wants nothing more than to watch Korra yell at General Osina for not removing the tank earlier. "I want to see this for myself."

* * *

Jinora is not a violent woman—the pacifism goes hand in hand with being of Air Nomad descent—but even she cannot bring herself to reprimand Korra for snarling into the receiver of Zhu Li's phone that General Osina's aide d'camp had better connect her to the general's private line or else. Sure enough, the threat works, because two and a half minutes later Korra is talking to the head of Ba Sing Se HQ. "General Osina," Korra says. "This is Major Iluak, 6152nd. We've got a problem—no sir, it's not one that can be solved by military intelligence. Yes, I know. See, we've got a tank here…yes, General…no, someone by the name of Sergeant Katashi Zhen crashed it through one of our latrines." She stops talking for nearly a minute. "His unit was all killed, sir." Another pause. "I don't know who he reports to, he's been on and off morphine for since he was injured in the tank crash—sir, you can't be serious—General, we were bombed today because of that tank and two men lost their lives and countless more were injured, we need to get that tank out of here." A muscle in her jaw jumps. "Yes sir. Of course, General. I completely understand. Thank you for your time." She hands the phone over to Zhu Li and says, "Get I-Corps on the phone."

Zhu Li automatically reaches to dial the number before her hand stops midair. "Why, Major?"

"Because General Osina says that we can't touch the tank until his commanding officer comes and collects it, and I want a second opinion."

Zhu Li doesn't waste another second and dials the number for I-Corps. "Sparky? It's Zhu Li. Patch me through to Colonel Bureiku. Yeah, it's an emergency; it's not like I call this number just to hear the sound of your voice." She rolls her eyes. "Yeah, thanks." Five seconds pass, and Zhu Li's entire expression changes. "Colonel, this is Sergeant Moon, company clerk of the 6152nd M*A*S*H unit—yes, sir. A tank crashed through one of our latrines forty-eight hours ago and today we were bombed. We have refugees and prisoners of war staying here, sir…Ba Sing Se HQ, sir. Yes, we spoke to General Osina." Everyone waits. "Sergeant Katashi Zhen, sir. He has been in and out of consciousness and we haven't been able to ask him who he reports to, sir."

"Ask him to look it up," Korra says, and Zhu Li nods once.

"Sir, would you be willing—oh. Yes sir." She scribbles down something on a scrap of paper next to her. "Which extension? Yes, Colonel, thank you for your time." She hangs up the phone for exactly five seconds before dialing again. "Sparky? It's Zhu Li again. Put me through to Major Meng in Hidao-Jeong."

Kai raises his hand like he's in school. "Why are you calling Hidao-Jeong?"

"That's where the unit came from, Captain Wen," Zhu Li says. "And if that's—Major Meng? Major, this is Sergeant Zhu Li Moon from the 6152nd M*A*S*H unit…" Jinora listens with bated breath as Zhu Li repeats what she'd told Colonel Bureiku, and this time the conversation is far shorter but Zhu Li constantly has to raise her voice to be heard over the noise on the other end. Finally, Zhu Li sighs and says, "Of course, Major. I completely understand. Thank you." She hangs up the phone and Jinora's surprised to hear her curse under her breath before she turns in her chair to face her, Kai, and Korra. "I-Corps says that we can't touch the tank, and Major Meng says that it may be a few days before they can come and get it."

Korra facepalms so hard that Jinora is worried that the nurse will give herself a mild concussion. "Damn it, Zhu Li—call Meng again and tell him that we're a target as long as that tank is here."

Zhu Li slams her hands down on the table and rockets to her feet, anger and frustration evident in every line of her face. "Do you think I'm an idiot, Major Iluak?" she demands. "Didn't you listen to me tell him that? And even if I hadn't, don't you think that Major Meng knows that? This is my job and I know what I need to do to get it done right, so I suggest that you go and do yours and leave my job to me."

Korra stares at the sergeant, her mouth hanging open. Kai's eyes are so wide that she can see the whites all around. Jinora feels like her entire world has turned upside down. Never in all of the time that she's been here has she heard Zhu Li snap at anyone like that, least of all at Korra Iluak, and Zhu Li does not look remotely apologetic.

Maybe the war's been getting to all of them.

Korra blinks out of her trance first. "Well," she says. Zhu Li busies herself with pushing her glasses higher up the bridge of her nose, but she doesn't take it back. "Um. Okay then. Keep up the good work, Zhu Li."

"Thank you, Major," Zhu Li says regally. The tips of her ears are bright red.

"You're—welcome. I think." Jinora nearly breaks a rib from the effort of keeping her laughter at bay. "Until we get that tank out of here, I want everybody wearing helmets in the compound. Kai, Jinora, get Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji in here and tell them to get a detail and start sandbagging the OR and postop."

Jinora salutes her. "Will do, Korra."

* * *

Once the refugees and prisoners of war return to their tents and Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji's detail gets to work on sandbagging the buildings, Korra calls all of the officers together for a meeting. Jinora can think of a lot of things she'd rather be doing at eleven o'clock at night but she and Kai walk over to the mess tent in their bathrobes, both of them still half asleep. Korra's still in uniform, sitting up straight. Zhu Li is on her left, taking roll call, and Mako is half asleep on her right. Opal is speaking quietly to Mako; Bolin had said he would be late because he was helping Corporal Tikka's group. Kiyi stares down at her hands. Sora and Mai try to get Xióng to speak, who is staring vacantly at the cup of tea sitting untouched in front of her. Her eyes are puffy and red. Mitali turns away from her conversation with Zin and leans over to hug Jinora once she and Kai sit down. "Hey, Jin," she says.

"Hey, 'Tali," Jinora says. She rubs her eyes. This day feels like it has dragged on for a million years and she wants nothing more than for it to end so she can get some sleep. "You alright?"

"Yeah, m'okay." She lowers her voice. "I hear we're burying Captain Tran and Hideo Fong tomorrow."

Jinora almost asks who Hideo Fong is before she realizes that that must have been the name of the POW who'd died in Kiyi's arms. She blinks away tears, suddenly grateful beyond explanation that at least someone had taken the time to learn the man's name. _Captain Tran would have wanted it that way._ "Right," she says quietly. "How's Xióng doing?"

"About as well as you'd think." Mitali presses her lips together. "I hope Zhu Li can get a chance to talk to her soon. She's really the only one here who knows what Xióng's going through."

Korra raps sharply on the table with her pencil, gathering everyone's attention on her at once. "I won't bother with roll call since it's clear that we're all present and accounted for—and those of us not present have informed me in advance." Everyone nods, and Korra looks down at the clipboard that Zhu Li had handed her earlier. "Okay. At this exact moment, we have a hundred and seventy-four people residing on our land, not counting those from the village next door. That's more than double the amount of mouths to feed. I know we've been recommending that you cut down on your portions but with the addition of the POWs and the recent reports from I-Corps and Sergeant Igoru, I've decided to switch my words from a recommendation to an order. All members of the medical staff are required to cut down to two meals a day."

Kiyi raises her hand. "Have you spoken to the corpsmen about this?"

"Yes," Zhu Li says before Korra can. "They've also agreed to cut down to two meals a day."

Jinora frowns. "How long will the food last if we cut down?"

"With the refugees and POWs eating three meals a day and the rest of us eating two, we should be able to last until the next shipment from I-Corps comes next week," Korra says. "I'm sorry that I even have to ask this of you. I would never under any other circumstance, but this is something we have to do to survive." No one dissents, and Korra smiles gratefully at them. "Thank you, guys. I appreciate it."

"What's happening with the tank?" Sora asks. Everyone other than Kai, Jinora, and Zhu Li chime in with similar questions. "I get the situation started kind of unorthodox but we can't keep it here any longer."

"Yeah," Zin says sardonically. "It's starting to look like a real warzone around here."

Korra holds up her hands and waits for silence. "Zhu Li and I placed phone calls to General Osina, Colonel Bureiku from I-Corps, and Major Meng, Sergeant Zhen's commanding officer in Tianjiao," she begins. "And they have all told us the same thing, which is that we can't touch the tank and Major Meng says that it may be a few days before he can send someone to come and get it."

There's an uproar almost immediately. Zin and Mai start cursing out the army and the rest of the nurses join in, and Mako's voice rises over all of the din. "There's a solution to this," he says. "We could move the tank out of the camp ourselves so we can get everyone out of harm's way."

Korra's jaw drops. "You can't be serious."

"Why not?" Zin asks. "I know that some of the enlisted men and women were trained to drive tanks before they came here and—"

"And what if the New Freedom Fighters bomb them while they're in the tank?" Korra demands. "I won't risk someone's life just to—"

"What are you saying?" Opal snaps. "That you'd rather endanger everyone else's lives than actually try to get rid of the problem?"

The room explodes again, and this time even Jinora and Kai get involved to try and keep the peace so no one will kill each other. Everyone is shouting and Opal and Korra look ready to escalate to fisticuffs, but an unlikely voice rises over the din and causes everyone to freeze.

"Stop it!" Xióng slams her hands on the table so hard that her cup of tea is knocked over. "Ho-Jon's dead and…and you're all arguing like a bunch of little kids!" She puts her head down and starts to sob.

Tea trickles off the table, and everyone looks ashamed of themselves. Sora and Mai wrap their arms around their friend and soothe her.

"Xióng's right," Opal says at last, casting her eyes down to her lap. "I'm sorry, Korra. That was—I went too far. I know that this is a lot more complicated than it seems and I'm sorry."

"No, Opal, I'm sorry," Korra says. "I shouldn't have snapped at you; this is a democracy, you're all allowed to have and voice your own opinions. I just—I want you all to know that if there was something I could do to get rid of the tank without risking anyone else's life, I would do it immediately, the orders of the military be damned."

"Well," Bolin says mildly, and Jinora damn near gets whiplash from turning around so quickly. When had he arrived? Had it been when they'd been arguing? "Speaking of that, Corporal Tikka and I have come up with a temporary solution to our problem."

"Bolin." Mako pinches the bridge of his nose in a manner eerily similar to Korra. "We don't have time for your jokes right now."

Bolin looks offended. "You seriously think I would joke at a time like this?" Mako holds up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. Bolin rolls his eyes. "Anyways, ladies and gentlemen, if you'd all follow me."

More out of curiosity than trepidation, the medical staff bundle up in their winter coats and follow Bolin out of the mess tent and across the grounds. The lights are on in the refugees' tents, and Jinora can just make out snippets of weary conversation as they pass by. Finally, Bolin stops in front of a tent double the size of the Swamp. "Ta-da," he says with a flourish. "Our problems have been solved."

Kai frowns. "Wait a minute. What's this tent doing here where the—" Bolin pulls back the flap and Jinora's heart takes refuge in her throat when they are all suddenly face to face with the tank inside the tent. "—where the tank used to be," he finishes weakly.

A grin slowly unfurls on Korra's lips. "Bolin, you're a _genius_."

Bolin waves off the compliment. "Please," he says sheepishly, "don't give me the credit. It was Corporal Tikka's idea; I just helped her out. It's only temporary but to make sure, we put a big red cross on the roof too."

"You know," Zhu Li admits, "we may just fool them with this."

And the fact that even Zhu Li admits it makes them all believe in the plan a little bit more.

* * *

Early the next morning, Kai wakes up to the heavy whirring of chopper blades and Zhu Li's voice over the intercom announcing the influx of incoming wounded. This shipment's a doozy—they're forced to triage nearly a hundred soldiers and Korra ends up drafting Bolin and a couple of the enlisted men and women as extra nurses. Even Xióng, who has been cleared of a concussion and has barely had a chance to relax since yesterday, has elected to scrub up and join them, saying that she needs to take her mind off things. Kai works in triage for thirty minutes, separating those who need to get inside as soon as possible from those who can wait. Mitali is in charge of weeding out those too far gone to save, and he feels awful for feeling grateful that it's not his job this time around.

The operating room is warm, at least in comparison to outside, where the temperature has dropped below zero and has been inflicting serious cases of frostbite. Kai has to swallow back vomit when he and Sora have to amputate three fingers and a toe of a boy who looks no more than seventeen. Sad as it is to have to amputate anything, Kai knows that keeping the stiff and blackened appendages is a one-way ticket to infection and certain death. The kid will forgive them eventually.

"Suction," he says to Sora, who promptly gives it to him. "Can you see the spleen?"

"Yes, Doctor."

"Good. Let's disconnect it from the pancreas. Scalpel."

The buzzing of static stills his hand for a moment, and he only gets back to work when Zhu Li apologizes. "Sorry," she says, trying to make herself heard over the noise and through the surgical mask she's wearing. "Just trying to get the radio working."

"That's fine, Zhu Li," Korra says, even though Zhu Li hadn't asked for permission. "Just not too loud, okay? We do need to focus."

Carefully, Kai disconnects the spleen from the pancreas and the body's blood supply and Sora helps him remove it. "Suture," he says, and slowly but surely he closes up the surgical openings. They're going to run out of supplies if they keep getting so much wounded, and then cutting down to two meals a day won't save them or their patients. "I'm done here; get me the next patient."

While Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji take Kai's patient and place him carefully onto a stretcher, the news program that Zhu Li had been playing ends. It had been about a city getting bombed all the way on the other end of the Earth Kingdom, far away from them and the largest portion of the fighting, and he's thankful that he doesn't have to listen about hurt families anymore. He's heard enough of that for a lifetime.

 _"And now,"_ blares the announcer, _"a few words from our reporters at the peace talks."_

 _"This is Yui-Sai Fong,"_ says a very familiar and intelligent voice, causing Kai's head to shoot up, _"coming to you live from the Earth Kingdom. I've just returned from outside the newly built conference hall in Sejong-Daero. The hall is a symbol of the renewed hope for peace. It is almost finished, and you can still smell the greenness of the wood. Three years of constant disappointment have made skeptics of us all. However, the word from Sejong-Daero today is that an armistice agreement may be reached at almost any day now. While one of the bloodiest battles of the war rages on in Ba Sing Se, only two procedural problems stand in the way of an agreement which will end the fighting."_

Everyone is listening with rapt attention. No one moves. No one breathes.

 _"President Akiyama and Hotah Deng must first map a final ceasefire line and, second, persuade the New Freedom Fighters to let the United Republic take charge of the prisoners. Repeatedly, the allied negotiators have assured the other side at the conference table that the New Freedom Fighters will cease fire and withdraw. If they violated the armistice, the United Republic would withdraw its support, and we can now officially say that it will not come to that. Ladies and gentlemen, we are pleased to report that it seems peace is finally within our grasp—"_

The operating room bursts into cheers and applause. Some of the soldiers who are still awake and sober enough to move start singing a war song. Kai feels happiness swell in his lungs, spiraling forward and outward. He throws his arms into the air and lets out a whoop of joy, nearly impaling Corporal Tikka with his scalpel.

"Shut up!" Zhu Li snaps, and the ferocity in her voice is enough for all of them to go quiet at once, even the wounded. Her eyes are wide and she turns up the volume on the radio until his eardrums feel ready to burst, but no one dares to speak for fear of either angering Zhu Li or jinxing the situation. Even Mako and Korra keep quiet.

 _"—agreement on a final truce line,"_ Yui-Sai Fong is saying. _"After a week of secret sessions in Sejong-Daero the New Freedom Fighters have finally announced they will discuss preparations for signing the armistice agreement. There is certainly some distance to go in these negotiations but for the first time in over three years the end of this bloody road that we've traveled seems only steps away. Again, this is Yui-Sai Fong, reminding you to stay tuned."_

"Holy shit," Kai says. It's all he can manage to say. "Holy shit. Did you hear that?"

"I heard." Jinora's eyes are shining brightly over her surgical mask. He really wants to kiss her but he's a doctor first and a boyfriend second, and he reluctantly returns to his new patient, a corporal with a bullet in his leg. "I can't believe it."

"Me either," Mako says numbly. "The war's almost over." To Zhu Li, almost as an afterthought, "Don't you dare change that station, Sergeant Moon."

It's hard to tell in the dim lighting but Kai thinks that the sergeant had rolled her eyes very briefly to the high heavens. "I wasn't planning on doing so, Major Lieng."

"Alright, alright," Korra says from across the room. She's working with Mitali right now but Kai can't see what the problem with their patient is. "It's great news, I won't sugarcoat that. But we ought to get back to work now. Corporal Tikka, how many left?"

"Twenty-four soldiers, ma'am," the corporal says after checking her chart briefly.

Korra's eyes narrow like she's doing long division in her head but she nods. "Alright. Thanks, Nahra."

"Anytime, Major."

The mood in the operating room is usually tense and focused, but the gray clouds seem to fade away whenever someone remembers Yui-Sai Fong's broadcast. Kai keeps breaking out into a grin whenever he thinks about peace being only a few steps away, about going home and never having to work sixteen hour shifts and fish bullets out of children and being with Jinora and—

Jinora.

Spirits, he really does need to sit down and figure out what they're going to do with themselves. If he's this excited about peace being close by and the possibility of going home soon, then Jinora must feel close to the same way. They both care about their families and he's not about to make her leave her parents and siblings behind to go and live with him in Yu Dao or something. They barely tolerate his relationship with her as it is, he realizes with dawning despair. If she goes with him then they'll hate him more than ever.

There's a groaning noise from far away but Kai dismisses as one of the untreated soldiers and focuses on his patient, bandaging the wound so the kid won't die of an infection. "Get me the next patient," he tells no one in particular once he's done. While he and Sora wait for the next patient, he continues to think about this situation they'd found themselves in. _We're going to have to figure something out because I do not want to lose her anytime soon._

Zhu Li suddenly freezes in her tracks, her hand halfway to an extra bottle of blood that Korra had requested. "Get down!" she shouts. "Everybody get down _NOW!"_

Within a millisecond, Kai drops to the floor and covers his head with his hands. Even if Zhu Li hadn't been half-psychic and the owner of the best poker face this side of the Earth Kingdom, she had sounded as commanding as the best generals in the world and he'd be stupid not to follow her orders. He braces himself for all hell to break loose and hopes to Raava that all of the refugees are going to take cover as well.

 _BOOM!_

Dust is shaken free from the ceiling and falls like snow, dusting their heads and the bodies of the nurses who had remained standing to shield their patients from debris and infection. _Thank the Spirits for the sandbags weighing this place down, otherwise the building would have fallen onto its side._ He spits the dust out of his mouth, stands, and shouts, "Is everyone okay?!" He gets a plethora of affirmatives back. "Good. Great. What the f—"

Another shell explodes in the yard, and this time the explosion is so powerful that Kai is knocked to the ground and the glass in two of the four windows in the OR shatter. Someone in the hallway screams, but Kai is too busy catching his breath to ask if they're okay this time.

"That," Bolin wheezes, "was a hell of a short intermission."

"Yeah," Mitali says around a few coughs. "I didn't even have time to buy a soda."

The building shakes from the force of the next shell, and Mako looks ready to tear a sandbag apart with his bare hands. "Aren't those idiots afraid of being spotted?"

Korra's hair is gray from the dust and makes her look twenty years older. "Guess not," she says. "And I guess they figured out that the tank didn't just disappear off the face of the earth. Sorry, Bo."

Bolin shakes his head. "I knew it wouldn't last forever, but I figured it'd last for more than a day. Spirits. What are we supposed to do now?"

"They can't shell us forever," Jinora says optimistically. "Sooner or later they'll run out."

"Yeah," Opal says. "But how many more will die before that happens? We've got to do something."

The memory of Captain Tran and the prisoner's deaths triggers something in Kai, and before he knows it he's standing again. "Ladies and gents," he says, "Opal's right. The time to do something is now, and since it's been a while since I've done something heroic for the good of the unit, I nominate me. All in favor say 'aye'."

Jinora's brow creases. "Kai—"

But before she can finish her sentence—and before he can lose his nerve—he sprints out of the operating room as fast as his legs can take him, dashing rather recklessly across the compound. He passes refugees hiding in their tents and the remaining POWs huddling together, his head swiveling back and forth as he looks for—yes! There it is. His thoughts are briefly scattered to the wind after a shell goes off nearby, but he ignores it and the sounds of his friends screaming for him to get back to safety and heads for the tent holding the tank.

Kai scrambles onto the tank and jumps down into the driver's seat through the still-open hatch on the top. He's driven Satomobiles and mopeds and jeeps and on one occasion a school bus, but the difference can't be too staggering, right? He inserts the keys, toggles the gearshift with his left foot and presses down on the gas pedal, and the tank starts with a mighty roar. It eases forward like a land-bound battleship, the treads clanking against each other with a near-musical chime, and it rips through the tent as easily as tearing a sheet of paper in half. Part of the fabric snags on the cannon and Kai doesn't have to look to know that the remaining half of the tent is being dragged behind the tank—he's too focused on figuring out why he's going straight toward the center of the compound where the makeshift tents are. _Steer, steer, how the fuck do I steer?_

Fifty feet before he hits the center of the compound, he finds the release button atop a pair of levers used for steering and slams his hand on top of it before grabbing the levers and veering left. The tank goes left with a screech of metal and disaster is narrowly averted. He barely has time to congratulate himself on a job well done before he crashes into something else—the newly built latrine.

 _Oh fuck, Igoru is going to kill me and dance on my grave._

Dirt and snow and something that he prays isn't feces splatter the tank, somewhat obscuring his line of vision. The only bright side is that crashing into the latrine has caused the tent to slip off, which means he can drive the tank at full speed now. The problem with that, he quickly discovers, is that going faster means that he's driving more and more erratically with every passing second. He's going to have to find a place to ditch the tank and _fast,_ otherwise this whole plan will have been a waste.

 _Waste…_

After less than a second of hesitation, he takes a sharp right and the tank heads out of the compound altogether. The sounds of the shelling keep getting more distant, and he mutters a prayer to himself, shutting his eyes as the tank plunges into the garbage dump, partly submerging itself in trash. His head slams against the chair's headrest so hard that he sees stars, and in return he slams on the brakes and turns the tank off.

"Oh hell oh my Spirits oh Raava fuck," he says eloquently, biting down on his bottom lip hard in an effort to calm himself down. "Calm down, calm down. Okay. Let's go. Get out of here, Wen. Let's go."

He climbs out of the hatch, choking immediately on the air—it's like dirty socks and jockstraps and rotting food all mixed together into a smell so powerful that it makes his eyes water and his head spin. He braces himself and jumps off the tank and back onto solid ground, stopping only to adjust the surgical mask hanging limply around his neck before he runs back toward the compound.

Just in time, too. A bomb drops into the garbage dump and explodes once Kai is almost back at the 6152nd, sending garbage and debris and metal shards flying. People poke their heads out of their tents and miscellaneous hiding places as Kai walks through the camp, but the sounds of cheering don't begin until the doors of the operating room close behind him again. "Well," he says to a stunned audience full of doctors, nurses, groaning soldiers, and a few enlisted men and women, "someone had to take out the trash, right?"

Everyone looks at him until a bead of sweat trickles down his forehead.

 _Yep. I'm dead._

* * *

"Are you an idiot?"

Korra is not pissed. Korra is completely, utterly furious. But her voice is completely calm, and her gaze is steady, and the only reason Kai _knows_ his friend is angry is because he can see it in her eyes.

He almost thinks he'd prefer if it Korra just yelled at him.

"Tell me, Captain Wen, are you stupid?"

Kai looks at his shoes. Somehow he gets the feeling that addressing Korra by anything other than her rank right now will not go over well. "I don't think so, Major."

"Then explain why you ran out of the OR in the middle of a meatball surgery session and drove the tank we were trying to keep a secret from the New Freedom Fighters into the garbage dump."

Okay, when she says it like that then it does sound a little stupid. "I couldn't—I wanted to…" The words aren't coming to him and if she keeps looking at him like that then he's going to panic. "We were in trouble and I was thinking about what everyone's been saying about how we can't lose any more innocent people, and so…I decided to do something about it."

"At the risk of your own life."

"I wasn't doing it because I had a death wish," Kai insists, knowing that a very long session with Bolin is in store if he hints otherwise. "I promise, Korra, I wasn't. I just wanted to save us. No one deserves to die like Captain Tran and that prisoner did."

Her eyes soften. "I know, kid," she says, the stern façade of Major Iluak fading away to reveal his friend again. "But you have to understand that your actions have consequences. What if they had bombed the tank while you were still inside? I don't want to write a letter to your father explaining to him that his son died a hero. And as for Jinora…" She presses her lips together. "I'm sure she'd rather have an alive boyfriend than a dead one."

"Yeah," he says quietly. "I know. But I'm alive and everyone here is alive and I don't care if it was a stupid thing to do, Korra, I'd do it again if I had to."

Korra studies him for a moment. "Okay," she finally says. "Fine. I'll let it go. And I won't file a report against you or send you to Bolin." Kai kind of doubts that she ever would have but he keeps his mouth shut. "But if you ever do that again, me filing a report to I-Corps will be _pleasant_ compared to what I will do to you. Do you understand?"

Kai nods and stands up.

"Kai." He pauses and looks over at Korra. She's frowning at him but her eyes twinkle with approval. "Thank you." A pause. "But seriously, don't do it again."

He can't help but grin. "No promises, ma'am."

* * *

Jinora has to wait the remaining six and a half hours of today's meatball surgery session and one full shift in postop before she has a chance to talk to Kai, but it's worth it when she grabs him by the arm and drags him into the Swamp. Mitali and Mako leave without even being asked — _I'll have to thank them later_ —and she crosses her arms over her chest. "So," she says. She had planned out a whole speech during her postop shift but now that Kai's facing her, she doesn't know what to say. "Are you in trouble?"

"No," he answers. "Korra says that it was stupid of me but she's not going to file a report with I-Corps or send me to Bolin or anything like that."

Jinora nods, because she may be angry but she's not angry enough to want this incident to be placed on Kai's permanent record. "I see," she says. "So are you planning to tell me what the _hell_ you were thinking?"

Kai's eyes widen. "Seriously?"

"Yes, _seriously_!" she snaps, anger lighting a fuse beneath her soul. "Damn it, Kai, you just ran out of the operating room like a madman and the next thing we knew you were driving the tank through camp while we were getting the shit bombed out of us! What were you thinking? Do you have a death wish or something?"

"I didn't do it because I had a death wish, Jinora! I did it because I knew that if this shelling continued and the army didn't remove that tank we would keep losing innocent people and—and I couldn't stand the thought of being present for a hundred more conversations like the one Korra had with Xióng or the one Kiyi had with that prisoner and I wanted to do something about it! We haven't gotten shelled since the tank and the dump got blown up and okay, maybe I could have done it another way—"

Jinora can't stop herself from sarcastically saying, "Oh, you think?"

"—but everything turned out fine. I'm fine, Jinora." He cards his fingers through his hair. "For Raava's sake, why am I getting the third degree from everyone today?"

"Why?" Her face is getting redder and her anger causes pressure to dig against her temples like this is one of the worst migraines she's ever had. She hates fighting with people but fighting with Kai is a thousand times worse. "Because you could have _died_! You could've died like Captain Tran did, trying to save innocent lives just like he did. You need to think about the consequences of your actions, Kai Wen, because you—you mean a lot to everyone here and you mean the world to me and none of us could have handled losing you." Tears burn her eyes but she resolutely swipes them aside. "I _love_ you, you idiot. Do you really think I would've been okay with you dying as long as it was for a good cause?" If he replies, she can't hear him: she'd walked out of the Swamp as fast as she could, trying to escape before her tears can do the same.

She finds solace on one of the snow-free benches near the kuai ball pit, burying her hands in the pockets of her jacket. The sun is starting to set in the distance, and she stares at the horizon while she tries to sort out her thoughts.

"I'm sorry," Kai says. She's not surprised to see that he's tracked her down, and she doesn't protest when he sits down next to her. "I know it might be too little too late right now, but I'm sorry for upsetting you."

"Are you sorry for doing what you did?" She's not asking to nag; she's genuinely curious.

"I'm not. I'm glad that I was able to save us from more shelling and that no one else had to die because of that damn tank."

"That's what I thought, yeah." Taking her hand out of her pocket, she reaches and takes his hand. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I was…I was just scared. I really thought I was going to lose you."

"If I were in your shoes and you did what I did, I'd be scared too," he admits. "But Jinora, I promise you that you're not going to lose me. I meant what I said back in the supply tent—you aren't going to get rid of me that easily." He gives her a crooked smile. "I'm not going to leave you."

"What about after the war?" she asks bitterly.

The sky turns two shades redder in the time that it takes Kai to come up with an answer. "Let's not talk about that now," he says. Deep down, she's relieved, but she knows they can't prolong the inevitable forever. "Let's just…watch the sunset for a while. Together." _We don't know how many we have left._

She breathes out, watching her breath turn to mist. "Together," she repeats.

They watch the sunset for several heartbeats before Kai speaks up again. "Why's the sun setting over there?"

Jinora frowns. "What do you mean?"

"For as long as I can remember the sun's always set in the west."

Panic, slow and steady, rises in her lungs and threatens to choke her. He's right. The sun is setting in the east, and that's far from normal. "What do you think it means?"

"I once saw this in a mover." She's never heard Kai sound so grim, not even when he'd been talking to her right after she'd gotten shot. "This squadron was camping next to a forest and the tops of the trees in the distance were glowing. Next day there wasn't any forest left." He stands up and she does the same. "We've got to tell Korra and Zhu Li to get I-Corps on the phone. If that's a fire heading this way, then we're bound to be heading out."

* * *

Even though she had grown up in a house with three rambunctious siblings and has been stationed in an active war zone for nearly a year now, she can say with absolute certainty that she's never seen chaos quite like this before. Trucks and personnel keep crisscrossing the compound, and Sergeant Kuji is leading a team to knock down all of the tents and shove the canvas into the back of a truck. She and Kai and Mitali and Mako busy themselves with getting the medical supplies carefully packed up into bags, and every time she leaves the supply tent to put the bags into a jeep, she hears Korra shouting at someone to move faster because they're running out of time. "Get those wounded on the bus," she snaps at Kiyi. To Zhu Li, who's standing on Korra's right beside a representative for the refugees and a representative for the POWs, she says, "Bring that truck over here for the POWs. Private Akuyama!"

The private in question skids to a halt in the middle of the camp, his shirt smeared with grime—he'd evidently been part of Sergeant Kuji's tent-dismantling team. "Yes, Major?"

"Get me a vehicle for the refugees," Korra says. "We're taking them with us." The representative from the refugee contingent looks ready to faint from relief. Jinora recognizes her as the mother of the child who Kai had treated for pellagra—to leave her and the other refugees behind would be inhumane.

The OR, postop, Officer's Club, and Korra's office are vacated and left standing because they're the only real buildings in the camp. The wounded get to have their own truck, though Mako and Kiyi will be with them in case a medical emergency arises. The mess tent is dissembled and the food, tables, and chairs are placed into the bus that Private Akuyama had borrowed from the motor pool to house the refugees. The POWs are all placed into a truck, and Xióng insists on staying with them through the journey. (Captain Tran and Hidao Fong's bodies are placed into coffins in the back of the bus as well, and Korra says that she plans to officially bury them once they arrive at the new campsite.) Everyone packs up their belongings and puts them in one of the trucks, though Kai keeps the distillery close to him in case it breaks and Korra doesn't fight him about it. Zhu Li organizes the evacuation of the people in the village nearby and orders them to follow the trucks to their new location—better to be safe than sorry in the case of an incendiary fire, after all. Eventually, all that's left is an abandoned kuai ball pit, tent poles, some buildings, and a field of dirty snow. It's like they'd never been there at all.

It makes her heart hurt a little.

Korra is standing on the roof of the bus and shouting for everyone's attention. "Listen up!" she yells. "I've spoken to everyone that I want to drive one of the trucks or jeeps or buses, so here's how the lineup is going to go. I want Zhu Li with me up front, followed by Akuyama, Kuji, Tikka, Igoru, Shang, Ozawa, and Ling. Jeeps are going to be on each side, and any officer who isn't staying with the POWs, wounded, or the refugees will be in those jeeps. Our new location is about ten miles east from here, away from the forest, and I expect every member of the 6152nd to help set up once we arrive. Have I made myself clear?"

Affirmatives ripple through the air, and they set out.

Bolin, Jinora, Kai, and Opal have a jeep to themselves, and Kai drives beside the truck with the wounded. It's close to ten o'clock at night and Opal and Bolin are asleep in the backseat under three layers of clothing, but Jinora can't sleep—the stench of smoke from the distant incendiary fire and the exhaust from the vehicles make it impossible for her to do so.

"This is our second time bugging out, you know," Kai says. Jinora turns her head to look at him, shoving her hands deeper in her pockets. It's freezing outside; she has never longed for the Swamp this much before. "Last time was about six months after I came here. There were rumors of an enemy attack for weeks and we were ordered to bug out in less than an hour because I-Corps didn't tell the incoming United Forces soldiers that there was a mobile army hospital in Uijeongbu. But we did it and moved twenty miles west, only the area that I-Corps swore up and down was empty was actually occupied by a tiny village whose main attraction was brothels."

Jinora chokes down a laugh, not wanting to wake up Opal and Bolin. "So what'd you do?"

"Rizza Fang and Laika Hyo—they were nurses before you came here; Xióng and Mai replaced them—ended up trading the prostitutes a few of their fancy dresses so we could use one of their brothels as a makeshift OR. But that didn't last very long; we got to go back to our old location less than a day later. I thought Varrick was going to cry when he got the news."

"Poor Varrick."

"Poor Varrick indeed." For a moment, there's nothing but the sounds of several vehicles grinding against the snow and Bolin's snores from the backseat. "You know," she says, "we're going to have to finish talking about…about what's going to happen to us at one point."

Kai doesn't take his eyes off the road. "Right," he says cautiously. "We do."

"And, well, I've been thinking—dangerous habit, I know—I've been thinking about our options. I know we both want to go back to our families. I won't force you to go back home with me just like I know that you won't force me to go back home with you—I digress. My point is that I think we've only got two options now." She swallows back her fear and says, "Either you and I will go into a long distance relationship, or we…we ought to break up." _There. I said it._

Kai reacts well. That is to say that he doesn't swerve off the road or start yelling or look like he wants to faint; the only thing that changes is that his grip tightens on the steering wheel until the pallor of his knuckles matches the snow. "You…" His voice sounds funny, like he's holding back tears and incredulous laughter at the same time. "You don't want to break up, do you?"

"Spirits, no," she answers immediately. Just the thought makes her stomach clench up. "No, I don't. I don't think that—after being with you for nearly a year, I don't know if I would able to live my life without you in it." It seems melodramatic now that she's said it out loud but she means it. "I don't want to break up with you."

"Good. Good. Me either. So...what would a long distance relationship entail?"

"Well, uh…after the war, I'd go to Republic City and see my family, and you'd go back to Yu Dao and see Yung, and we would meet up again in like a month. Maybe less. Hopefully less. But we'd write, and we'd call. It wouldn't be like we'd be in total radio silence."

"No," Kai concedes. "We wouldn't."

"Kai." He glances over at her. "I don't know how much I like the idea of a long distance relationship, but I'll take what I can get if it means I don't have to lose you."

Something in his gaze softens. "I meant what I said when I told Yui-Sai Fong and Chen Nanuq that I was going to fight for us," he says. "I don't want to lose you either. Not if I don't have to." He takes her hand and squeezes it tight. "So, we'll have a long distance relationship after the war? Pending unforeseen circumstances, of course."

"Like what?"

"Like the war never ending."

Jinora can't stop her laughter now. "Yeah," she says once the giggles have faded away completely. "Pending unforeseen circumstances like that, then a long distance relationship it is."

They continue the rest of the ride to their new location in companionable silence, and Jinora knows that she should be happy. That she should relax now that they've come up with an idea regarding what to do about their post-war relationship. She and Kai aren't breaking up; they're going to be okay.

Then why does she still feel so uneasy?

* * *

After spending four hours helping the enlisted men and women set up the tents, the OR, and postop in their new (thankfully brothel-free) location, Kai wants nothing more than to sleep and is pleased when he wakes up on his own accord for the first time in weeks. Corporal Tikka and Sergeant Kuji have worked through the night to finish the job and set up the telephone lines so Korra and Zhu Li can get in touch with I-Corps. They only stop when Zhu Li threatens to cold-cock them and lock them in a truck unless they get some sleep—Kai reminds himself to thank them once they wake up. All of the refugees are back in their own tents, and the POWs occupy one large tent. Kai spends most of the morning helping Mitali, Zin, and Jinora stock postop and the operating room with the necessary supplies and equipment from one of the trucks. By the time Sergeant Igoru starts serving dinner in the mess tent, everything looks almost the same as it had in Uijeongbu.

Kai returns to his and Jinora's table with a plate full of food just in time to hear Bolin say, "And the one-legged jockey says, 'Don't worry about me, baby; I ride side-saddle!" The whole table explodes with laughter. Jinora collapses on Mitali's shoulder, tears of mirth streaming down her face.

He just rolls his eyes. "I see how it is," he says, sitting down and stabbing his fork into a piece of meat that he thinks was liver once. "Bolin only tells the good jokes when I'm away."

"Absolutely, Kai," Korra says seriously. "Bolin has been screwing with you this whole time. You've finally uncovered his conspiracy."

He fake-gasps and puts his hand over his heart. "You're in on this? Jinora, are you in on it too?" At Jinora's nod, he says melodramatically, "That's it, it's official. I can't trust anyone anymore. Jinora, I'm leaving you for the one thing who hasn't betrayed me yet—the jeep I drove on the way here."

Korra sighs and turns to Jinora, shaking her head fondly. "Isn't he a ladykiller?"

"Acquitted," Kai says dryly. Even Mako laughs at that one.

The conversation shifts from Bolin's jokes to some of the worst jokes they've ever heard—Mako tells them one about cars and ladies and Kai's entire soul almost cringes out of his body—before it thankfully moves onto a safer topic: Korra's life. "I got a letter a few days ago from I-Corps," Korra says, taking a sip of tea. "From General Osina. It was an offer to work abroad at a hospital in the Fire Nation once the war ends. It's a good position; I'd be head nurse just like I am here."

"That's great," Mako says sincerely. "Are you going to take it?"

"I don't know," she admits. "I mean, I got another offer to be transferred over to the Southern Water Tribe—same position, same benefits, more or less the same pay—and that'll be great 'cause I'll be able to see my parents more often, but…" She lowers her voice as a few of the refugees pass by. "I'd be further away from Asami."

Bolin frowns. "That's rough, Korra, I'm sorry. Have you talked to her about this?"

"Not yet. I don't want to until I make my official decision. I mean, she's got Future Industries to look after and she can't drop everything and relocate even if she did want to." Korra sighs. "Oh well. I'll write her after I get more than a mealtime to sit down and relax."

"Fair enough, Major," Zin says with a grin. "Tell Lieutenant Sato that she still owes me seven yuans from the poker tournament."

"I most certainly will not," Korra says sternly, but the twinkle in her eyes show that she's not really mad. "And just why do you need seven yuans from my…" She looks around just to be sure no one's listening. "...from my girlfriend so badly, Nurse Yamato?"

Now his grin turns downright mischievous. "No reason."

"No reason means you get no money from Asami," Jinora sing-songs, and Mitali laughs at her boyfriend's dramatic eye roll. "Though a good reason might still leave you seven yuans short."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Jinora," Zin says. He holds his head up high. "And to answer your question, Major Iluak, I've been cashing in on everyone who owes me money so I can buy a ticket pass that'll enable me to fly to Bushou as often as I can once the war is over." His voice grows smaller at the end of his sentence; his neck and the tips of his ears turn redder than the flags of the Fire Nation. "I'm only twenty yuans short."

Mitali's eyes are so wide that Kai's half afraid they'll pop out of her head. "How long have you been planning this?"

Zin doesn't meet her eyes now. "Since…well, since we talked about what we're going to do after the war last month. So I started saving up. Is…is that okay?"

"Is that—Zin, it's…" Mitali's eyes are welling up with happy tears. "It's more than okay, Zin. I—" She kisses him firmly and Kai clears his throat when it starts to drag on past the ten second mark. They pull away from each other and look down at their near-empty plates, both of them wearing dopy grins.

And Kai—he's happy for them, he really is. Zin and Mitali have been through a lot and they deserve to be happy, but there's a part of him deep down that's grumbling _why does it have to be so easy for them, why didn't they have the same problems as me and Jinora?_ Shoving those feelings deep down, he claps Zin on the back and says earnestly, "Good for you, man."

The table echoes his statement, and once the outpouring of congratulations have died down, Opal turns to Korra and says, "Since we're changing the subject, Xióng wanted me to ask you if we could bury Captain Tran and Hideo Fong tomorrow; before the POW exchange, y'know."

He'd almost forgotten that the POWs were meant to be exchanged for some of the United Forces prisoners. He looks down at his plate, no longer hungry. "What's going to happen to them once the exchange is over?"

"They'll probably be tried for war crimes," Korra says matter-of-factly. "If they aren't found guilty of crimes against humanity then I see no reason why they won't be released and sent home to their families."

They all turn their heads to look at Xióng, who is sitting at a table with Kiyi, Sora, Mai, and a few refugees. She's not smiling—in fact, Kai doesn't think he's seen her smile since Captain Tran was killed. "Xióng won't like it if anything happens to them," he says.

"Nothing will happen to them." _Not if I have anything to say about it, that is._ "And to answer your question, Opal, Zhu Li and I were planning to have a funeral for them before the exchange too. Do you want me to tell Xióng that or do you?"

"No, I've got it. I'll tell her after dinner."

"Thanks, Opal."

The POW exchange takes place at ten o'clock in the morning, but at nine o'clock everyone is out of their tents and dressed in their cleanest outfits for the double funeral of Ho-Jon Tran and Hideo Fong. The prisoners had dug the grave for their fallen friend and Xióng had dug Captain Tran's by herself. One of the seamstresses from the village near their old campsite had given Korra an Earth Kingdom flag to wrap Hideo's coffin in, and Mai had given up one of her souvenir Fire Nation flags to be used for Captain Tran's coffin. Since it's a military funeral—both men had been atheists and Xióng insists that Tran would have preferred a military funeral to a religious one—Zhu Li presides over it. Kai stands next to Jinora and holds her hand tightly, afraid that if he lets go he will crumple onto the snow and never get back up. He hates funerals; he's been to too many over the years.

"These flags have been presented on behalf of a grateful nation," Zhu Li says. He has no idea when she'd learned to preside over a military funeral but he's glad that she knows what she's doing. "Both the United Forces and the New Freedom Fighters bequeath them as a token of appreciation for the honorable services of Captain Ho-Jon Tran and Corporal Hideo Fong."

Luoxi, who owns the eponymous bar that they occasionally frequent, picks up his bugle and plays _Taps._ It's not the best rendition that Kai's ever heard, but it brings tears to his eyes all the same. While the song plays, everyone takes handfuls of freezing cold dirt and tosses it onto the coffins until the coffins are buried completely.

"They were excellent soldiers and good friends," Zhu Li continues. "And all who knew them will miss them dearly. We will remember how they fought so bravely for…" She stops, and Kai can tell that she's conflicted on what to say. Fong and Tran had been on different sides; they'd fought for the opposite cause. "For what they believed was right."

Silent tears stream down Xióng's cheeks as she is invited to come up and speak on Captain Tran's behalf. "We only knew each other for a short while," she says tremulously. "But Ho-Jon was brave and true. He wanted to be a writer." Kai thinks of Skoochy, of Varrick, and he thinks, _Writers and dreamers are the first to fall in wars like these._ "I—he—" She presses her lips together to keep them from trembling. "He was brilliant. He cared for everyone around him. He is—he was the type of man who was loyal to the last inch. And—and I'll miss him. A lot. But he saved my life, and I know I'll never forget him."

Xióng is enveloped in Mai's arms once she returns to her group of friends, and Kai watches one of the prisoners step up to speak on Hideo's behalf. "My name is Genji Dao," he says. His eyes are puffy and bloodshot. "I only served with Hideo for a short time before we were taken prisoner together. He kept me calm. He never showed fear. Whenever one of us were afraid in the prison camps he would crack jokes and tell stories until we were no longer afraid. I always admired him. And…" He looks down at his feet. "I wish he didn't have to die, but that is the way of war, and I will never forget him."

 _I wish he didn't have to die, but that is the way of war._ Kai wipes his eyes on his gloves and holds back a sniffle. Rule number one about a war is that people die, and rule number two is that no one, not even doctors, can change rule number one. He understands that better than anyone, but he's never stopped wishing that that wasn't true.

The funeral ends once Korra places two carefully-carved gravestones at the head of each grave. _Here lies Ho-Jon Tran,_ one reads, while the other reads, _Here lies Hideo Fong._ But both of them have the same epitaph, which reads, _A fallen friend._

A pickup truck driven by two military policemen arrives a few minutes after the crowd disperses. "Major Iluak," says one of them with a snappy salute. "I'm Captain Ailesh, and this is Lieutenant Kanan. We're here to pick up the prisoners of war."

"Of course," says Korra.

"Where will you be taking them?" Xióng asks. He'll never get used to this new seldom-speaking version of Xióng, but he appreciates that her tendency to get right to the point has stayed the same.

"A relocation center, Lieutenant," says Lieutenant Kanan. "As soon as the truce is signed they've got to be ready for the big switch. We're swapping their prisoners for ours."

"Are they that close to signing the truce, then?" Korra asks, cocking her head to the side. "Last we heard the N-double F's were still in the process of figuring out whether or not they wanted to sit down to the peace talks at all." To the group of prisoners next to her, she says apologetically, "No offense."

"None taken, ma'am," says Genji.

"Major Iluak," says Zhu Li, appearing out of nowhere. One of the military policemen jumps backwards in shock and Jinora, who's standing next to Kai, disguises her laugh as a cough. Someone really should have given Zhu Li a jangling collar for Wanmas; that way she could stop scaring the shit out of everyone with her teleportation. "I-Corps would like to speak with you. I've got them on the first line."

"Thanks, Zhu Li," Korra says. "Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me. I'm sure that Captain Wen, Captain Gyatso, and Lieutenant Yali will be able to assist you in this undertaking."

"Of course, Major," says Jinora. Kai thinks longingly of the warmth of the mess tent and a cup of hot tea, but Korra would probably shoot lasers out of her eyes if he said that he had other plans, so he nods and agrees to help out. Once Korra and Zhu Li leave, Jinora says, "Let's get down to it, then."

It takes a surprisingly short time for the prisoners of war to pack up the few belongings they have and get into the back of the truck, but all of the personnel insist on saying goodbye to the prisoners and that holds up the process a bit. Genji surprises them all by hugging Xióng tightly. "Stay strong, Lieutenant Yali," he says to her. "I promise that whatever pain you're feeling right now will pass. It might pass like a kidney stone, but it'll pass."

"Thank you," she whispers.

Kai makes sure to shake all of their hands. "Surakshit rahen, all of you," he says. It's an old adage that everyone of Earth Kingdom descent knows—it translates to 'stay safe' in the common language. "I hope you see your families again soon."

It may be his imagination but he thinks that Genji is blinking away tears. "Thank you, Captain Wen," he says. "And the same to you."

Captain Ailesh and Lieutenant Kanan board the truck and drive away slowly, all of the prisoners of war sitting in the truck bed and staring back at the refugees and the members of the 6152nd. Not even the birds are chirping as the truck drives down the long and winding path and disappears beyond the horizon. Kai blinks away tears, and Jinora takes his hand.

"C'mon," she says quietly. "Let's go."

They set out across the compound—it'll probably take him a week to get used to the new place, provided they stay here that long—and Kai is about to suggest that they go to the mess tent for a cup of coffee when Zhu Li's voice comes over the speakers in her usual clarion call. This time, though, she isn't inviting them to surgery; she sounds different. Almost…excited. _"Attention members of the 6152_ _nd_ _,"_ she joyfully declares, _"please stay tuned for a special announcement all the way from Sejong-Daero."_

Sejong-Daero. Kai goes very still. That's where the peace talks have been. _Oh my Spirits. Is this what I think this is?_

Zhu Li's voice changes to another familiar one: Chen Nanuq. There's a lot of static and commotion on his end, but his voice comes out clear. _"Ladies and gentlemen,"_ the reporter says, _"for those of you who just tuned in, we've finally got some good news for all of you. I don't know what you've heard or what you haven't heard, but here's the truth: five minutes ago at ten-oh-one this morning, the truce was signed in Sejong-Daero by both parties. The hostilities will end twelve hours from now at ten o'clock tonight. The war is over!"_

For a single heartbeat, Kai forgets how to breathe. He's not sure if he's sitting or standing. All around him, people are looking around as if they're wondering if this is a joke or not. It's been three years since the war began, three years since Queen Hou-Ting was assassinated and the New Freedom Fighters and the monarchists started fighting over the best way to run the country, three years since the United Forces stormed in to help. Is it over? Is it really over?

 _The truce was signed. The hostilities will end. The war is over._

In the span of another heartbeat, everything reappears and comes crashing down around him. The war is over. The war is over. The war is _over._ "It's over," he says out loud. Everyone turns to look at him. "The war is over!"

The camp explodes into chaos. Refugees hug each other and whoop for joy. Mako kisses Kiyi full on the mouth. Bolin picks up Opal and swings her around, both of them laughing with unbridled happiness. The nurses are screaming together and dancing around and even Xióng is smiling, really smiling just like she used to. Corporal Tikka starts chanting, "The war is over, the war is over!" and everyone starts picking it up until the sentence reverberates off the trees. More and more people are spilling out of their tents and embracing each other. Sergeant Kuji starts a conga line and it snakes all through the unit, Corporal Tikka's chant continuing to echo throughout the air. And Kai—Kai pulls Jinora close to him, joy thrumming in his veins. "Hey," he says. "The war's over."

"That it is," she says, beaming. And then she kisses him, and somehow everything becomes more perfect. The war is over. It's over. It had taken Skoochy, it had taken Varrick, it had taken millions of lives and has ruined countless others but it's finally _over_ , and he wants to scream and laugh and cry all at once.

Everyone in camp is so busy celebrating that no one notices an ambulance pulling to a stop in the middle of the camp until the driver jumps out and shouts to get everyone's attention. Once he has what he wants, he says, "We've got wounded here."

The good mood pops like a soap bubble, and everyone goes still again. Wounded. Yes. Because even though the war is over, the wounded never stop coming. The fact that there's wounded means that they all have to get back to work. And though it had barely begun to get its feet off the ground, the celebration grinds to a halt.

People rush over and start carrying the wounded out of the ambulance. Corporal Tikka runs to the operating room to go and get as many gurneys as possible, and Opal runs to get the necessary equipment for triage from the truck that still has their supplies in it. Triage doesn't officially begin until all thirty soldiers are carefully lifted out of the back of the ambulance, and by then four of them have already died. So much for a ninety-seven percent efficiency rating, he thinks.

Jinora is called away by Zin to examine a soldier with a chest problem, and Kai is left alone to scout the area for a soldier that needs a doctor the most. Bolin has apparently been drafted to work as a nurse again and he's helping Mitali hold a soldier still enough so she can apply a tourniquet to his bleeding leg. Korra stands in the middle of the camp and holds an old megaphone to her mouth—where on earth had she gotten that? "Alright, everyone, listen up!" None of the medical staff stop what they're doing but they all make noises to show that they're listening. "We operate on all the ones who can't wait, and those who can travel, we take with us. I-Corps wants us back in Uijeongbu as soon as possible." Spirits Almighty, they're bugging out again? Why does I-Corps continue to screw with them like this? "Tikka, Kuji, grab your squads and start prepping to bug out again. I expect everyone else to scrub up and join me in OR once triage is done."

Kai rushes across the compound and kneels at a litter to examine a young soldier. Kiyi is already there tightening his pressure bandage. When she looks up at Kai, he's startled to see how tired she looks. "Does this look like peace to you?" she says bitterly.

For that, Kai has no answer.

* * *

The operating room here is a lot more cramped in Uijeongbu, and as a result Jinora can barely move without accidentally elbowing a nearby doctor or corpsman in the kidney. She still works as diligently as she can, knowing that Korra's pushing them to get done as fast as possible so they can go back to Uijeongbu. Fourteen of the twenty-six remaining soldiers have been given top priority from the triage session, and the remaining twelve will have to wait at least a few hours. Jinora just hopes that they'll be able to last that long.

 _"It is now two o'clock in the afternoon,"_ Chen Nanuq announces over the radio. Jinora doesn't react to that like she once might have. Time flies differently in the operating room than it does on any other place on earth. _"In exactly eight hours, the war will be officially over. It's a time for reflection now, for summing things up, and while we wait for news from my friend Yui-Sai Fong in Sejong-Daero, here are the most up to date figures we have."_

"Scalpel."

Mai reaches across the table and grabs the necessary item from Opal's station. "Yes, Doctor."

 _"—cost of the war to the United Republic has been placed at twenty-two billion yuans—"_

"Don't look at me," Kai says, not even looking up from his patient. He snaps his fingers and without even questioning the gesture, Sora gives him more retraction. "I only get six thousand a month."

Zhu Li turns up the volume again after shooting Kai a death glare for interrupting the program. " _In human terms,"_ Chen Nanuq reports, _"the cost was much greater. The United Forces have suffered the following casualties. Killed in combat, seventy-one thousand five hundred. Missing and captured, eighty-three thousand two hundred and sixty-three. Wounded, two hundred and fifty thousand."_

"Make that two hundred fifty thousand and one," Kai says.

"And two," Jinora adds.

"Three," Mako says.

"Four," Mitali says.

Corporal Tikka sticks her head into the room to add onto the stream of commentary. "And there's ten more out in the hall."

 _"On the opposing side four hundred thousand were killed or wounded,"_ continues Chen Nanuq, sounding remarkably blasé about the whole thing. She envies that. _"In addition, one fourth of all Earth Kingdom citizens are homeless and one hundred thousand are orphans."_

And that—that's especially difficult to comprehend. A hundred thousand orphaned children. Raava Almighty. The Nurse Saki's of the Earth Kingdom are certainly going to have their hands full. She shakes her head, not taking her eyes off the soldier before her with a collapsed lung. "This is not a good place to have a career as an innocent bystander."

The rest of the room murmurs in agreement.

"If you add it all up," Opal says quietly, "it comes to more than two million people killed or wounded."

Everyone in the room is stunned at the figure and looks up from their work. She's about to question whether or not that can possibly be accurate, but then she thinks of the countless soldiers she's worked on, of Varrick and Captain Tran and Hideo Fong. Two million people sounds about right. Kai speaks up before she can. "Now that's what I call a grand total."

Chen Nanuq finishes his recitation of the facts of war and the program ends. The conversation in the OR switches to what Jinora's mother would call a no-tears topic: food. "You know what I miss?" Opal says rhetorically. "Lychee juice."

Jinora groans at the thought. It's been months since she's had juice of any kind: all they serve here is water or tea or coffee. "I miss fruit," she says. "Fresh fruit. My family and I used to go apple-picking when I was younger and I've never missed the taste of apples straight off the trees this much before."

"I miss meat that isn't liver or fish," Bolin remarks.

"I miss ice cream," Kiyi says, and that induces a moan from everyone in the room. Even if it's below freezing outside, the thought of ice cream is still alluring. "What about you, Mako? What're you looking forward to?"

"A hemostat," Mako says, and Korra hits him on the arm playfully before giving him the hemostat he'd requested. "I miss dumplings." Bolin makes a noise of agreement. "My grandmother makes the best kind—and her ostrich-horse ones are absolutely to die for."

"I'll tell you what I won't miss," Mitali says. "Cold showers."

"True," Zin agrees. "And I won't miss the rats or cockroaches."

"Ewww." Sora wrinkles her nose. "Yeah, I definitely won't miss those little bastards."

"I'm particularly looking forward to outbreaks of lice and dysentery being a thing of the distant past," Mai comments. "There's nothing here I'm going to miss." Then, after a moment's hesitation, "Except for all of you."

 _Yeah,_ Jinora thinks, looking around at everyone in the makeshift operating room, people she has come to call her closest friends. _Yeah. I don't know if I'll miss nothing from my time here, but I'm certainly going to miss all of them._

* * *

Once the surgery for those in desperate need of aid is done, they all pack their bags and belongings and head back over to Uijeongbu. Surprisingly, their old campsite isn't that much worse for the wear—there's smoke curling off the tops of the trees nearby and there's a smoking crater where the kuai ball pit used to be—but he barely has a chance to get a better look around before Korra's ordering everyone into the operating room to treat the soldiers they have left. Another wave of wounded is dropped on their doorstep less than an hour into that meatball surgery session, and Kai decides to go outside and get some fresh air before returning to the land of the dying. Korra, apparently, has the same idea, and they plop themselves down on a couple of cinderblocks outside the operating room.

They sit in a companionable silence, and he studies her for a moment before deciding that there's no time like the present. "Do you have a minute, Korra?"

She sneaks a glance at her wristwatch—a birthday present from Asami, he knows—but doesn't move. "I've got less than that 'til I have to go back in and pick up a scalpel again, but sure. What's up, Kai?"

Kai feels awful for bringing his problems up when they're surrounded by piles of wounded soldiers on all sides, but he knows that if he doesn't get an answer then he'll really be in trouble. "Do you understand women?" The question comes out in a rush, and he curses himself for sounding like an absolute idiot. _Way to go, Wen. Real smooth._

If Korra thinks his question is stupid, her expression doesn't show it—though her lips do twitch for a moment like she's holding back a laugh. "What I understand about women will take a lot less than a minute," she says, her voice a deadpan eerily reminiscent of Zhu Li. Then her face softens and she looks closely at him. "Why do you ask?"

He smirks involuntarily. "Well, you've been around the block more times than I have with this sort of thing."

"Make another crack about my age, Captain Wen, and I'll take you behind the motor pool and let the air out of your tires." Korra's voice is devoid of anger, though. "Seriously, kid. What's up?"

This time Kai's determined to be more eloquent. "I thought when the war was over, it would be the happiest day of my life. And it is," he hastily adds. "I'm happy." That's an understatement. When the news had come on over the PA he'd felt like he could float into the clouds from sheer joy, a feeling that he usually experiences when he's kissing Jinora. "But everything's a lot more messed up than I thought it would be." He looks down at his knees. "Jin and I both want to keep up our relationship but we also want to visit our families—it's been almost a year since she's seen her parents and almost two since I've seen Yung—and I don't know what to do."

"And you thought that I would."

"Well, yeah." Now he's a bit irritated but he's determined not to let it show. "I mean, you've been able to keep up a long distance relationship with Asami for the last three years."

"Just because I've been able to doesn't mean that it's the right decision for everyone," Korra says patiently. Kai releases a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. Korra's right, of course. She's always right. "Asami and I were together for two years before I got sent over here and she got drafted into the engineers corps. It was tough to keep it going but we made it work through letters and phone calls, and we tried to schedule our shore leaves so they'd coincide. When the war's over it'll go back to what it used to be—pending the occasional issue, of course. Our relationship isn't really applicable to yours and Jinora's, kid. You shouldn't use it as an example; you ought to make your own decisions."

He sighs. "I just—I just feel like I'm in trouble no matter what decision I make."

The occasional spurts of gunfire in the distance and the wailing from inside provides the only sound for several seconds, and Kai's about to get up and face the music in the operating room when Korra speaks up. "Kai," she says, "when you love somebody, you're always in trouble. And there's only two things you can do about it: either stop loving them, or love them a whole lot more."

He considers that for a moment, trying to understand what she's telling him. "But if you love them a whole lot more, won't that just get you a lot more trouble?"

"Yep," she says, popping the p. "Then you love 'em even more."

He can't help it when his next sentence sounds eight different kinds of sarcastic. "Well, that sounds tough."

Korra pats him on the shoulder and rises. "It's murder, kid."

* * *

 _"In other matters, President Akiyama is expected to ask for an emergency relief fund of two hundred million yuans to rebuild the war-torn economy of the Earth Kingdom. Another two hundred million may be allocated to rebuild the infrastructure that the war has ruined—infrastructure like the royal palace, businesses of all kinds, bridges, roads, and above all, homes. If you would like to donate to the relief funds, please send money to PO Box 41, located in the heart of Republic City. Again, that's PO Box 41. For those of you just joining in, it is now three hours before the cessation of hostilities…"_

"I wish they'd tell us what the new government is going to look like," Kai complains. Jinora looks across the operating room at him, her brows furrowed. "All they've been saying is the new government, the new economy. What's with all the secrecy?"

"Maybe they don't want to release all the information until the official end of the war," Bolin suggests.

"What harm would releasing the information right now be?" Mako snaps. "There are hundreds of thousands of families all over the country wondering what the hell is going on and these people don't even have the guts to tell them."

"Maybe they do already know," Sora ventures. "I mean, we've all only been listening to this one station." They all look over at Zhu Li, who's monitoring the radio with a gaze that threatens anyone who comes near her with a recommendation to listen to something else. "Then again, if _United Republic Today_ hasn't reported it, then I doubt any of the other stations have."

 _"This just in: a news bulletin straight from the ostrich-horse's mouth,"_ Chen Nanuq reports. The enlisted men and women in the room stop what they're doing and look up. The doctors and nurses look up for a moment before going back to their patients. Even the soldiers in the hall stop moaning. _"New reports claim that the New Freedom Fighters have been making a retreat on Hotah Deng's orders. However, other reports claim that the N-double F's have been ransacking small towns and big towns in the northern part of the Earth Kingdom."_ Jinora's eyes widen. Mitali lets out a strangled gasp, and Kai drops his scalpel. They're both from the northern part of the Earth Kingdom. _"The following towns have been relaying reports to Sejong-Daero of a New Freedom Fighter invasion."_ Everyone waits. _"Bushou. Makapu. Yu Dao. Wulong. Gaosong. Shingshu. Again, that's Bushou, Makapu, Yu Dao, Wulong, Gaosong, and Shingshu. United Forces troops have been dispatched to those locations to aid the citizens in a final battle…"_

Kai's face is white beneath his surgical mask, and Mitali's pupils are pinpoints. "Oh Raava," he whispers. "Spirits. That's—that's my hometown. That's—it's overrun by New Freedom Fighters—oh _Yung_ —"

"My older brothers and sister are all there," Mitali says, sounding one news bulletin away from tears. "My parents. My cousins. I'm—my family. Korra, Korra, that's my family, they're in trouble—"

"First of all, they said that the United Forces were dispatched to help those in need," Korra says calmly, though Jinora wonders if she's wondering if Asami's unit had been sent to Yu Dao or Bushou or Gaosong to help those in need. "Second of all, no one is saying that the New Freedom Fighters are doing anything other than ransacking—they would have reported a death toll if otherwise. Third of all, if the phone lines are working to transmit a call long distance, you can call your families once this session is done to make sure they're alive. And fourth—and most importantly—there's nothing you can do right now but focus on what's in front of you. Okay?"

"Easy for you to say," Kai snarls. "Your family isn't stuck in a warzone right now."

"That may be true." A slab of metal would be more inviting than Korra's expression right now. "But someone I care deeply about is. I understand what you're going through, guys. Believe me, I do. But my philosophy has always been to not worry until there's something concrete to worry about. In the meantime, you ought to get back to your patients."

Kai tries to apologize but Korra waves him off, and everyone returns back to their patients. Zhu Li turns down the volume on the radio, but Jinora keeps thinking about the broadcast. _Yu Dao. Bushou. Four hundred thousand killed or wounded. Seventy-one thousand five hundred killed._ It's not her family, but she feels the pangs of heartbreak all the same.

The near-endless influx of patients keeps them busy, and Jinora tries her best to keep her mind off the news from Sejong-Daero. More and more civilians are dying. There's a food shortage in Ba Sing Se. Several prominent New Freedom Fighter generals have committed suicide in an underground bunker to prevent being tried for crimes against humanity. Yu Dao is taken back. Bushou is lost and regained in the span of an hour. No civilians are killed in any northern Earth Kingdom towns but several hundred are wounded. President Akiyama is on the radio at one point calling for peace across the country. But the wounded keep coming, and coming, and coming. _So much for a de-escalation._

Hours go by. Corporal Tikka collapses in a corner and takes a twenty-minute nap before continuing with the gurney patrol. Jinora's neck is cramped and her feet ache and her stomach is growling for any sort of food or water, but she keeps working.

Finally, there's one last news bulletin that comes through after Sergeant Kuji comes in to announce that they currently have the last of the wounded, and this time no one wants to tune it out. _"This is Yui-Sai Fong, reporting to you live from Sejong-Daero. It's one minute before ten p.m. We can still hear the sounds of nearby artillery. At some point during the next few seconds, the guns should go silent as the ceasefire officially goes into effect, never to be broken again."_

For a moment, everything goes quiet like she's caught halfway between a dream and reality. There's nothing but the wind blowing and the distant sounds of artillery—both of which have become commonplace. But suddenly the firing stops like someone had blown out a candle, like it had never been there at all. In the new silence—a silence much different than they're accustomed to—the doctors and nurses look up and face each other. Jinora meets Kai's eyes from across the room, and her heart skips a beat once she processes that he's crying. Her surgical mask is wet with tears as well.

It's over. Three years of fighting, three years of senseless violence and too many deaths to name. It's finally, finally over.

 _"There it is,"_ says Yui-Sai Fong. Her voice is bone-tired, but beneath the exhaustion is a very visible air of relief. _"Ladies and gentlemen, that is the sound of peace."_

After a long moment, the doctors and nurses go back to work again.

* * *

Kai stands in line behind Bolin, Mako, Sora, Corporal Tikka, and Korra, eating a sandwich wrapped in a napkin and waiting for his turn to call his father. He doesn't know what deal with the devil Zhu Li made to let them call their families long distance, but he's sure as hell not going to question it. Instead, he listens to Sora reassure her mother that she's alive and well and will be heading home as soon as possible, his heart growing three sizes due to the smile on her face. Jinora had asked if he'd needed company but he'd declined, telling her to go and have dinner with Opal and Mitali, who had been the first to finish their phone calls to home.

Sora hangs up after telling her mother goodbye one last time and hands the phone back to Zhu Li, wiping away a few tears. "Thanks, Zhu Li," she says. "I really appreciate you doing this."

Zhu Li's cheeks are red. "Of course, Lieutenant Tsen," she replies with a nod. Sora leaves and the sergeant hands the phone to Korra. "Would you like us to leave, Major?"

"No, it's fine," Korra says. Kai wonders for half a second who she's calling before it clicks. "Hi Sparky. Major Iluak of the 6152nd here. Can you connect me to Lieutenant Asami Sato at Ba Sing Se HQ? Yeah, I know. It'll be quick, I promise." Her expression changes from exhausted to elated in the span of a heartbeat. "Asami? It's Korra. Are you alright?" She exhales. "Good. Thank the Spirits…no, I'm fine too. We've had quite the excitement the last few days. I'll tell you all about it in person. Speaking of which…the war's over. What's the plan?" Korra listens for nearly thirty seconds before nodding. "Yeah, that works for me. 'Sami, hey—I don't have much time before they'll cut me off, but since you're at HQ you've probably heard all of the news from Sejong-Daero. What's the new setup for the Earth Kingdom going to be? What? Sure, go ahead." She palms the receiver and says to no one in particular, "She's asking Meilin." A minute goes by, and Korra's eyes widen. "Really? That's what they're doing? No, I don't have a problem with it; I'm just surprised that they went that way." She laughs. "True, it's better than communism." Zhu Li makes a motion for her to wrap it up and Korra's face falls. "Alright, I've got to go. The beep's about to—yep, there it is. I'll see you soon, alright? I miss you too. Yeah. Bye, Asami."

Kai's willpower lasts exactly five seconds before he cracks. "Well?" he asks. "What'd she say? What's the new setup?"

"The Earth Kingdom is turning into a democracy called the New Earth States. It'll be a frontier capitalism economy. Plus it'll be headed by governors of each state with a president to be elected every four years."

Kai blinks once. Then twice. "What? How is that even possible?"

"I guess that's why the peace talks took so long," Bolin says thoughtfully. "The United Republic probably fought tooth and nail to prevent the communists from having their way. Did Asami say how they're dividing the states up?"

"Nah, apparently they're still working on that. Ba Sing Se is becoming its own state, though. They elected some lady named Hanyo to be the interim governor."

"Kida Hanyo is the governor of Ba Sing Se?" Mako repeats incredulously. At Korra's nod, he shrugs as if to say _well what do you know._ "Huh. Hanyo is okay. Pretty fair. Maybe it won't be so bad."

"I dunno," Corporal Tikka says. "I was holding out hope that we'd end up a monarchy again."

Kai stares at her. "You're kidding, right? The monarchy wasn't great even when things were going okay, and by the end it was a total shitshow."

"Maybe so," she says stubbornly, "but it was _our_ shitshow, and now we have to struggle through a new system that might end us up in war all over again."

For the second time in twenty-four hours he is rendered speechless.

Tikka's phone call is short and to the point—she tells her parents and siblings to take care of each other, that she loves them all, and that she'll be home soon—and she leaves with Korra to go to the mess tent for an actual supper. Kai finishes his sandwich and tosses his napkin in the trash can next to Zhu Li's desk.

"Grandma Yin?" Mako asks. "Grandma, it's me, Mako. Yes, Bo is here too. We're fine. Everything's okay—we've been in surgery for the last several hours but we're okay now, I promise. How are you? We heard Hanyo's the governor now." Mako rolls his eyes. "I'm sure it'll be fine, Grandma. How is everyone?" His face falls. "Oh. I didn't realize…"

"Realize what?" Bolin demands.

He palms the receiver. "The Lower Ring's a bit of a wreck right now. Hundreds of homes in the slums got destroyed." Bolin swears. Mako goes back to his phone call. "Yes, I'm still here. Are you still going—oh. Wait, really? Are you sure? Well, yeah, of course I'll help you. That's—I don't know what to think, Grandma, but what about the…oh, okay. Gotcha. Yeah, sure. Bolin's right here."

Bolin takes the phone from Mako. "Grandma? It's Bo. Yes, Opal and I are still together. Yes, we're still getting married. We were planning on moving into Zaofu together, actually. I can still make a pit stop on the way there—oh. No, Mako didn't tell me yet. What do I think? I think it's fine by me, Grandma. As long as it's good with you it's good with me." Bolin winces; probably due to the beep. "Sorry, Grandma, I have to go. Time's about to run out on our connection. I'll talk to you soon, okay? And I'll send you lots of postcards from Zaofu. Love you too. Bye."

"So what's up?" Kai asks. "Also, Bo—you're moving with Opal to Zaofu?"

"Yes to the second, and as to the first, our grandma and our family are moving to Republic City until everything gets straightened out. Apparently one of the stipulations of the truce was that all Earth Kingdom citizens can automatically get visas to live in the United Republic." Huh. Well, that's new. "Mako, you okay, bro?"

"Yeah." Mako blinks and straightens up. "Yeah, I'm fine. I, uh—I think I'm going to go and talk to Kiyi."

Mako and Bolin leave to go and talk to their respective girlfriends, and Kai is left alone with the phone and Zhu Li. The company clerk dials the number for him and hands him the phone. "I need to go check on the guard shift," she says. "Just hang up the phone when you're done."

He kind of wants to hug her but knows that Zhu Li is not the hugging type, so he just says thank you and hopes that he doesn't sound as choked up as he feels. She leaves, and he places the phone to his ear. "Long distance to Yu Dao, please," he tells the operator. "Yung Wen."

The phone rings three times before there's a telltale scraping noise, and then, "Hello?" Kai's entire body slumps with relief at the realization that his father is alive and well. He sounds like he hasn't slept in a few days but he's _alive_ , and Kai will take that any day. "Yung Wen speaking."

"Hey, Yung, it's me."

There's a noise that makes Kai suspect Yung had dropped the phone on the kitchen floor, but in less than a second Yung is speaking again. "Kai? Oh my Spirits, Kai. Is everything okay? Why are you up so late?"

That's a fair question considering it's pushing on one o'clock in the morning, but Kai just laughs. "Really? That's your first question?"

"Actually it was my second question," he shoots back, falling into their usual banter as easy as breathing. "It's really good to hear from you, kiddo. How are you?"

"Well, the war's over," he says with a shrug despite knowing that Yung can't see him. "Which is awesome. I've been in surgery since ten o'clock yesterday morning. Don't worry, I ate and I'm heading to bed as soon as I'm done with this call. I'm fine, really." He decides to neglect to mention that little escapade of his with the tank; he doesn't want Yung to faint. "How are you? I heard Yu Dao got overrun by the N-Double F's."

"Overrun—yeah, that's a pretty good word for it. The United Forces prevented them from ransacking the town too much. I just got home from the clinic; had to treat like forty people today. Luckily no one's houses were burned down so everyone's got a place to go home to."

"Is the army still there?"

"Yeah, they're still here. I think they'll be heading out in a few days just to make sure all the drama is over." Yung sighs. "We've all had quite a day, kiddo. But I'm fine too, I promise."

"Did you get someone to look you over?"

"Yes, Kai. I'm fine. I do have a medical degree, you know." Yung's probably rolling his eyes to the high heavens and smiling fondly. Like father like son. "How are you? How's Jinora?"

"Jinora's…" Kai pauses, trying to think of the right words but coming up empty. She's alive and well and eating a very late dinner a hundred feet away, but that's probably not what Yung wants to hear. "She's okay. We're both okay."

"What're you two doing now that the war's over?"

And isn't that the question of the century. "Long distance relationship. At least for now. I'm heading home, she's heading home, and we'll write and see each other once a month or something like that."

A pause. "You don't sound too thrilled about it."

"Yeah, well…" He almost changes the subject before he remembers that this is his father, the man who raised him since he was ten years old. If he can't talk to Yung then he can't talk to anyone. "I'm not. I want to have it both ways but I can't, and I'm terrified of losing her because we'll probably only see each other once a month. And she won't leave her family for me—not that I would ever ask her to—and I don't want to miss out on seeing you any longer than I have to. I mean, it's been like two years since we've seen each other face to face and I miss you a lot." His voice breaks. "I miss you, Yung. I don't know what to do."

There's silence on the other end for a long time. Kai wonders for a moment if the connection had flickered out but then Yung says, "You know, you don't need to throw away your life for me."

He frowns. "What do you mean?"

"You're my kid, Kai, and I love you. Always have. And you know I want to see you again too, but what I really want is for you to be happy—whether it's back home or with Jinora or both or neither, it doesn't matter to me. You get me, kid?"

Kai slowly nods. "Yeah. I think I do." Something beeps directly into his ear and he grimaces. "Our connection's about to go out, Yung."

"Shit. Okay." Yung sounds just as reluctant to hang up as Kai does. "Write me or call me as soon as you can. When do you think you'll be out of Uijeongbu?

"Probably in a few days."

"Okay. Then I'll pick you up from the airport. Just—well, call me with the information, okay?" Kai nods even though Yung can't see him. "I love you, kid. And remember what I said."

"I love you too," he answers, but the dial tone cuts him off right in the middle of his sentence and the other end is silent once more.

He sits there for a long, long time.

* * *

Two days after the war officially ends and all of the soldiers they'd treated leave postop, the enlisted men and women set up the mess tent in the style of a banquet for a farewell dinner party. Food and drink of all kinds are being passed around. People are toasting one another and laughing and talking cheerfully. They're all dressed up in uniform—Korra's orders, since most of them now have no need to wear their uniforms again—and Jinora thinks that Kai looks particularly handsome in his, even if he insists it makes him look like an otter-penguin.

Around an hour into dinner, Korra rises and taps her fork to the side of her glass. No one pays attention to her. "Hey," she says, "I'm still your CO for the next few hours, so when I go like this," she taps on the glass again, "you go like this." She draws her finger across her neck in a signal for silence. Everyone laughs and quiets down. "Tomorrow, the tents of the 6152nd will be coming down. For good this time. For a long time now, we've been living together, eating together—"

"Sleeping together," Bolin jeers.

Korra rolls her eyes. "Well, I wouldn't know. I only run this joint. Anyways, since this is our last evening together, I thought that it might be a good idea for each of us to get up and tell everybody what we'll be doing next."

A murmur of approval ripples through the room and a couple of people applaud lightly in anticipation.

"I think you ought to go first, Korra," Opal calls.

There's enough encouragement from the crowd that Korra relents. "Well, for the next few days I'm going to help Asami and a few members of her unit with the consolidation of the 8063rd. And then after a little furlough," Jinora can only imagine what that will entail, "I'll go onto my next assignment."

"Fire Nation?" Mako theorizes. "You're going to the Fire Nation, right?"

"Nah, my money's on the Southern Water Tribe," Kai says.

"Actually, you're both wrong." Jinora blinks, somewhat taken aback. "If there's anything I've learned during my time here, it's that we should all try to do what's best for us no matter what anybody says—with some exceptions, of course." She winks at Kai. "But I'm doing what I've wanted to do all along, and that's to remain near my loved ones. So I'm heading to Republic City, where I'll be working in a stateside hospital. I'll still be in the army, but hopefully I'll never see a war as bloody as this one was." She clears her throat, and Jinora's heart skips a beat upon seeing that Korra has tears in her eyes. When her friend speaks again, her voice is very husky. "And I know I'll never get to meet people as amazing as you all are. It's been an…honor and a privilege to have worked with you, to have been your commanding officer for these last several months. And I'm very, very proud to have known you."

She wipes her eyes and sits down. The applause goes on for a long time and only stops when Zhu Li stands up to share her story. "I'm going to the Northern Water Tribe," she says. "I was invited by Varrick's brother to stay with him for a few days, and I'm going to be overseeing Varrick's practice. Just like…just like we'd planned. At least for a little. Then I'm going to go home to Republic City and make something of myself there."

"You'll be fantastic, Zhu Li," Korra says, and everyone makes noises of agreement. Zhu Li blushes a little and sits down, reaching for a jug of water with her left hand and—is she wearing the engagement ring that Varrick had bought for her? Huh. Today really is a day of surprises. "Next!"

Mai stands up. "I'm going to stay in nursing, but I'm leaving the army for good to work in maternity or pediatrics. After all this, I think it would be nice to help bring people into the world."

"I'm taking the next year off from nursing to travel abroad and see the sights," Sora says. "After being here amongst all of this gore, I just want to see the last pieces of good this world has to offer."

"I'm going back to my acting troupe in Shu Ting," says Sergeant Kuji. "If we ever do a play about war then at least I'll be able to out-act everyone around me."

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Corporal Tikka admits. "But I do know that I want to take the time I have and relax for a while. I think I've earned it."

"I want to open up a restaurant," Sergeant Igoru reveals. Then, smirking, "And I promise I'll serve better food there than the crap that I-Corps gave me to serve you here."

"I'm returning to my old job back in Republic City," Kiyi says, "as a nurse at Sacred Heart. I used to think work there was impossible, but now I'm worried it won't be challenging enough."

Five people later Xióng stands up, and the crowd goes quiet. "I'm still going to be a nurse after this," she says quietly. "My position at the Xanten clinic was kept for me in absentia, as I'm sure many of yours were." All of the doctors and nurses nod. "And I'm looking forward to going home, but I want to say that my days of flightiness are over. Joking around and gossiping used to be a refuge for me, but now those days will forever be a reminder of Ho-Jon Tran and the horrors of war."

"Still as dramatic as ever," Kai says under his breath, and Jinora hits him on the arm.

Zin raises his hand. "I'm heading home to Capital City, where I'm sure I'll suffer from overbearing parents for a while. But the big news is that I'm going to try and get my nurse practitioner license—more pay, better job opportunities, and nothing they'll show me on the exam will scare me now."

Mitali stands up next. "I'm going back to Bushou, where my family is thankfully all alive and well. I've accepted a position as the town doctor there, so if you're ever in town, just drop by the clinic and shout. I promise I'll drop whatever I'm doing and come say hello. Provided I'm not in surgery, that is."

 _And to think that I was so jealous of her when she first came here,_ she thinks as Mitali bows and sits back down. _She's become one of my best friends, and I'm going to miss her like hell._

Mako stands up after the enlisted men and women have finished sharing their stories—several of them want to go to medical school, and they'd all promised to give them letters of recommendation when necessary. "I think I have the biggest bombshell of the night," he says without any further preamble. "I'm retiring from the army." Kai knocks over his drink, Jinora drops her food on her lap, and Korra's eyebrows disappear beneath her bangs. Even Zhu Li looks surprised. "I loved being the army for the last several years but honestly, I think I'm ready to become a regular surgeon with regular hours again. I'm going to have to look for a job, but that won't be until I've helped my grandmother and family move from Ba Sing Se to Republic City." Kiyi's smile could power Republic City for a year, and Jinora has a feeling that this will not be a decision that Mako will regret. "So, yes. That's that."

"When I graduated from medical school, I couldn't wait for the action of working in a big-city hospital," Jinora says once it's her turn. "But after all that's happened here, I doubt any action at my job will compare to what I've experienced in the last year. So I'm heading home to my old job—thankfully without my fiancé—" Everyone applauds. "And I'll miss you all very much."

"I think I've got the least exciting prospect ahead of me," Kai says, "which is working at my dad's clinic. Nah, I'm kidding. I'm excited for that, and I'm excited to see my dad again." A muscle in his jaw twitches for some reason. "And while I can't say I've loved you all…" He grins impishly, and they all wait for the punchline. "I can say that I've loved as many of you as I could."

Finally, Bolin stands up, and Opal stands up with him. "Well," he begins, "as you know, Opal and I have been engaged for a long time. We didn't want to get married because the army would have placed us in separate units from one another, but now that the war's over…" A grin spreads across his face. "We've decided to get married here."

Amidst the uproar, Opal clarifies, "We wanted to get married with our family present. With all of you. We'll be doing it tomorrow before everyone goes home."

"No need to dress up super fancy," Bolin adds. "Zhu Li, I know it's been a while since we talked about it, but will you still officiate?"

"I'd be honored."

"And Mako, Korra, we want you to be our best man and maid of honor."

Mako's eyes are red. "Of course," he says quietly just as Korra says she will too. "Thank you." He rises and raises his glass high. "Here's to my little brother and my future sister-in-law—may you enjoy a long, happy life full of love and peace. And so may we all."

"Damn straight," Kai adds, and he raises his glass too. "To the happy couple!"

"To the happy couple!"

* * *

The wedding takes place around noon the next day, and for once it's warm enough outside that they don't have to bundle up in three layers of clothing. Everyone is invited, even the people from the nearby village, and all the members of the 6152nd are wearing their dress uniforms. Bolin is wearing a tuxedo (specially made by Mrs. Sesi) and Opal outshines them all—she's wearing a cream-colored dress that goes down to her ankles and a veil made of lace, her hair has been brushed to a glossy shine, she's carrying a bouquet of fake daisies, and she's beaming from ear to ear.

Bolin stands on one side with Mako on his right, who is wearing the same suit he'd worn to their New Year's Eve party. Opal stands across from Bolin and Korra stands on her right, wearing a blue sweater dress that Jinora's never seen before but looks very nice on her. Zhu Li stands between them. Kai is sitting next to Jinora and squeezes her hand, and she thinks _maybe that'll be us up there someday._

"—a symbol of the respect that you have for your families and for each other. I hope you will cherish and hold onto that respect throughout your lives," Zhu Li is saying. Jinora tunes back in. "Do you have the ring, please?"

"I do," Mako says, reaching for the ring in his pocket. He hands it to Bolin, who places it on Opal's finger.

"Do you, Opal Beifong, take Bolin Lieng to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, honor, and cherish, to have and to hold, from this day forward, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do," Opal says. In the audience one of the corpsmen loudly blows his nose. Jinora's close to tears herself.

"And do you, Bolin Lieng, take Opal Beifong to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honor and cherish, to have and to hold, from this day forward, in sickness and health, until death do you part?"

"I do," Bolin says in a voice choked up with emotion. A tear trickles down his cheek.

"Then by the power invested in me as the company clerk of the 6152nd, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Zhu Li fiddles with the engagement ring on her own hand and with a wistful smile, she says, "You may kiss the bride."

Opal lifts her veil and Bolin kisses her enthusiastically, dipping her slightly while everyone jumps out of their chairs and applauds. Opal giggles as Bolin sweeps her off her feet into a bridal carry and twirls around, nearly tripping on the icy ground but righting himself at the last minute. "We're married!" he announces to the whole camp. "She married me!"

"She might take it back if you don't put her down," Mako deadpans.

Bolin quickly puts her down, and Opal kisses him. "I married you, Bolin Lieng," she says once she pulls away, "and I'll never regret it."

He stamps a kiss to the bridge of her nose. "Neither will I, Opal Lieng. Neither will I."

Due to the large crowd of well-wishers around the newlyweds and the increasing volume of the congratulatory remarks, Jinora doesn't notice Korra inching away from everyone until the major releases a strangled shriek. Heads swivel around and jaws drop because standing in the middle of the compound with a bag slung over her shoulder is none other than Lieutenant Asami Sato of the 4077th Engineers' Battalion. Her hair is in a loose ponytail, she's still in uniform, and she waves awkwardly at everyone. "Hey," she says. "Uh, my best wishes to the happy couple."

Korra's expression is filled with so much longing that Jinora feels bad for looking at her friend at all. Her gaze flickers between the now-nervous Asami and the crowd of slack-jawed onlookers before her jaw hardens. She straightens up like she's throwing away all of her inhibitions and worries and fears and holds her head up high. Before Jinora can ask if she's okay, Korra takes off at a sprint.

Asami barely has time to tilt her head to the side and finish asking a question before Korra reaches her and pulls her into a passionate kiss. Jinora's hands fly to cover her mouth and her eyes threaten to pop out of their sockets. Korra Iluak, who has been afraid for years to even hint at her relationship with Asami because it would result in her dishonorable discharge from the army, is kissing Asami Sato in front of everyone in the 6152nd.

Kai elbows Jinora and gestures for her to look away like everyone else apparently had, which she does once she realizes why. After all, if there's no witnesses to the kiss, then there's no proof that Korra had ever broken military etiquette. She turns around when Korra and Asami stop kissing and rejoin everyone else.

"I like your hair like this," Korra is telling Asami sincerely. "It's been forever since I've seen it out of a braid or a bun."

Asami laughs. "Thanks. And you're looking snazzy as always." To the members of the 6152nd—all of whom are pretending to have conveniently gone blind for Asami's reunion with Korra—she says, "It's good to see you all again. Lieutenant Beifong, Captain Lieng, congratulations on your marriage."

"Call me Opal, please," Opal says, shaking Asami's hand around the bouquet still in her arms. "And, uh, not to be rude, but what exactly are you doing here?"

"Well, I was officially discharged yesterday morning, so I took a jeep from Ba Sing Se HQ to get here," Asami explains. "And since Korra and I are heading to help the rest of my unit with the consolidation of the 8063rd, I thought I'd come pick her up." She shrugs. "Surprise?"

Korra looks very close to kissing Asami again but this time she refrains. "I'm very surprised," she says with a giggle. Jinora has never heard Korra giggle in all the time she's been stationed here. "But no less happy to see you."

"I'm happy that I got here before the camp was fully dissembled," Asami comments, looking around. Sadness twinges against Jinora's ribs as she remembers how Sergeant Igoru had personally taken down the mess tent this morning, how she and the other members of the medical staff had cleaned out postop and the OR and placed supplies onto the truck heading for the 8063rd. Korra's office is empty now. The Officer's Club is still standing—Luoxi's family had bought it from them to use as their new home—but most of the tents are gone now. All that's left is the Swamp and the VIP tent. If it had been bad to watch before, the 6152nd closing for business now is nearly unbearable. "Is there going to be an after-party?"

Bolin and Opal exchange a secretive glance. "Of a sort," Bolin reveals. To Zhu Li, he says, "Did you do the thing?"

"Of course, Captain."

Zhu Li leads all sixty of them (sixty-one counting Asami) to the motor pool, where she'd dug a hole a couple of feet deep. One of the corpsmen hands her a wooden box that had once held the camp's supply of stethoscopes. Bolin spreads his arms out wide like he's on one of those terrible radio game shows. "As Opal and I told you last night," Bolin says, "we knew that this would probably be the same time we'd all be under the same roof again—theoretically speaking since we're outside and all—so we thought that instead of an after-party, we could do one last thing together: bury a time capsule."

Asami's eyes widen and she looks very impressed. Korra nudges her and whispers something in her ear, and Asami stifles a laugh in her wrist. Jinora's so happy for them that she could burst.

"Now you know why we asked you to bring a little item with you to the wedding today," Opal says with a salacious wink that she'd most definitely picked up from her new husband. "So if you could all get in a line and drop your item in this box and tell us why you chose it, that'd be most appreciated."

Obediently, everyone does so, even Asami. One by one, they all drop little souvenirs of their time in the warring Earth Kingdom into the box. Mako donates a pair of his combat boots as a reminder of military discipline. Mai contributes the crossword puzzle that they'd completed with Captain Tran's help, claiming that it's a reminder of their unit's efficiency. Kiyi gives them a children's storybook to remember the price of war. Makeup from Sora, a stock report from Mitali, an empty pill bottle from Zin, a candy bar wrapper from Sergeant Igoru; it goes on and on. Then Zhu Li steps up with a bundle of her own. "I'd like to donate Varrick's old lab coat," she says. Jinora hadn't even known that she'd kept it; she could have sworn that Varrick had taken it with him. "It can function as a reminder of those who have fallen."

Xióng fiddles with the dog tags around her neck. Bolin nods, and Varrick's lab coat is added to the box.

Kai walks over to the box and carefully put in a chunk of machinery that Jinora immediately recognizes is from the Swamp's distillery. "Here's to—well, here's to ingenuity," he says. Then he winks. "Plus if anyone eventually digs this up, they'll know why all of the 6152nd veterans are semi-functioning alcoholics."

When it's Jinora's turn, she puts in a few stamps and envelopes from her dwindling collection. "I'm donating these because I want them to stand for our families back home," she explains. "So that we won't forget all that they've gone through while worrying for us."

Asami donates a bullet that had come from the first revolver she'd ever been issued—"To commemorate all of the shots fired," she clarifies—and then it's Korra's turn. "I debated long and hard about what to put in this time capsule since I found out about it yesterday evening." Jinora laughs. "But I eventually decided that I would add this." She fans out some pictures like they're playing cards—one is of the time they'd broken the world record (Spirits, that feels like forever ago) and another is more recent; it's from their New Year's party at Luoxi's. Jinora doesn't recognize the other ones. "Just in case whoever digs this up wanted to remember the people who worked here." She suddenly smirks. "And I still have the original copies, so if you want to have your own copy just send me a letter and I'll mail a copy to you."

Bolin gives her a thumbs-up and the pictures are added to the box. Much like they had at Captain Tran's funeral just a few days prior, everyone takes a handful of icy dirt and throws it on top of the box once the box is placed into the hole, stopping once it's no longer visible.

"Well, everyone," Zhu Li says once they've been standing there for a few minutes without talking. "I believe we ought to vacate the premises sooner rather than later."

Korra is the first one to speak. "Are you heading out first, Zhu Li?"

"Yes, Major Iluak." With a semi-secretive smile that Jinora hadn't known Zhu Li had in her, the company clerk takes off a tarp covering one of the vehicles, and her jaw drops to her knees. It's Varrick's Satomobile, the same one they'd used to break the world record. She'd had no idea that it was still here, and apparently no one else had either. "I meant to send this back but I never got around to doing it what with all that was going on, so…I'll be driving it to the ferry on the Gold Coast, and the ferry will take me to the Northern Water Tribe from there." All of her bags are in the backseat—as always, Zhu Li is prepared. "If it's alright, I'd like to start the exodus."

Zhu Li climbs into the car. Just before she starts the ignition, Kai speaks up. "Zhu Li, before you go…"

"We've been thinking about it and there's a little something we'd like to give you," Jinora finishes.

"It's not much," Korra says, "but it's from the heart."

As if on cue, every member of the 6152nd stands at attention and salutes Zhu Li Moon. Some are a bit slower and sloppier than others, but they're all heartfelt. It's like Korra and Varrick had always said: without Zhu Li, this place would have gone under a long time ago. Zhu Li deserves all of the credit she can get but they know that she's too proud to take it, so this is the most they are able to give her.

Zhu Li's face twitches for an instant as though she's about to cry, but she slowly returns the salute like a four star general facing her troops. "At ease." She swallows, all stoicism gone with the wind. "Goodbye, everyone," she says softly. "I'll never forget you."

And with that, she starts the ignition and toggles with the gearshift, driving away into the distance like she'd never been there at all.

The reverie they've all found themselves in is rudely interrupted by a bus pulling up to the remains of the 6152nd and a driver honking the horn twice. Jinora automatically gets ready to deal with an influx of wounded before she remembers that the war is over. _I wonder how many times I'm going to be thinking that for the rest of my life._ He sticks his head out the window and calls, "All aboard for Ba Sing Se."

Since this is the bus that most of the enlisted men and women are taking, it's no surprise that nearly thirty of them grab their own bags from the motor pool and say goodbye. Jinora loses count of how many hugs and tearful farewells she witnesses and is on the recipient end of, but eventually the bus pulls away with many of them sticking their heads out the windows and waving furiously at the remaining members of the 6152nd.

Corporal Tikka turns to Sergeant Kuji. "Say, Hamada," she says. "Since you're heading to the same airport I'm heading to, want to split a commode?"

Sergeant Kuji—boy it's going to be hard to think of him differently if they ever see each other after the war—nods. He seems to be trying and failing to emulate Zhu Li's stoic attitude. "Why not?"

They end up sharing one of the ambulances and driving off into the horizon together after wishing everyone well, and Jinora wonders if it'll be the start of something new for them. And even if not, she hopes that the two of them will remain good friends.

The remainder of the enlisted men and women like Private Akuyama and Sergeant Igoru and Corporal Ozawa leave on the next bus that comes fifteen minutes later—but only after triple-checking that the medical staff will be okay with dissembling the few tents that are left. And then it's just the medical staff, alone for possibly the last time.

"We ought to get on our way to the 8063rd, Korra," Asami murmurs to Korra.

Korra nods. "Right you are," she says, though she makes no immediate move to resolve this issue.

Kai opens his mouth to speak and closes it. "Well, uh…" His voice breaks. "Try to tone down your death glare on your next bunch of subordinates, alright?"

Korra sniffles. "Will do, kid. Just for you."

Korra goes around and hugs every member of the medical staff, giving them each an individual farewell. She tells Xióng to keep her chin up. She tells Mai that she'll be great in whatever position she chooses. She tells Sora good luck in the maternity ward. She tells Kiyi that she's proud to have had her as a friend. She tells Zin to brush his hair more before wishing him luck in applying for his NP's license. She asks Opal to name her firstborn after her, and after the laughter dies down, she tells Opal and Bolin to look after each other. She gives Mako a sisterly kiss on the cheek and he hugs her closely—no words need to be said between them. She tells Mitali that she wishes they could have known each other longer but that she's one hell of a doctor and a friend and she'll miss her.

Jinora doesn't let Korra say anything to her—she just hugs her tightly. "Thanks for being one of the best friends I've ever had," she whispers, trying to hold back tears and failing. "I'll miss you."

"Same goes to you, Jin," Korra mumbles, wiping her own tears on her gloves. "I'll miss you too. Call me whenever you get a spare chance; I'll make some room for you." Reluctantly, Jinora lets her go and Korra moves over to Kai. "Well, kid, should we shake hands to spare your dignity?"

"My dignity was lost a long time ago, as you well know," Kai says, bantering like the world isn't crumbling around them. He hugs her briefly and presses a kiss to her cheek. "So long, Korra. And Asami—make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."

Asami laughs and Korra rolls her eyes. "I'll do my best, Captain Wen," she promises.

Once she and Asami are in the truck filled with supplies for the 8063rd, Korra rolls down the window and looks back at all of them. "It'd be hard to call what we've been through fun," she says by way of adieu. "But I'm glad that we all went through it together."

And without another word, the second and final commanding officer of the 6152nd Mobile Army Surgical Hospital disappears into the distance with her girlfriend, off to go and help the world once more.

Kiyi and Xióng are the next ones to leave—and irony of all ironies, they decide to leave in a garbage truck. _What better what to leave a dump,_ Jinora wants to say, but she's afraid if she opens her mouth again she'll start crying and will never stop. Xióng hugs them all goodbye. "We should all get together for a party sometime soon," she says with a semblance of her old grin. "My treat."

Kiyi kisses Mako goodbye like he's disappear into dust if she's not careful, and he holds her like she's the most precious thing in the world. Jinora remembers how they'd danced around each other for months, how Mako had once mooned over Korra, and thinks she might cry even if she keeps her mouth shut forever.

Mai and Sora leave on a motorcycle that Sora had always wanted to drive, and even though Jinora doesn't know either of them as well as she would like, she's still sad to see them go and makes them promise that they won't be strangers. _I doubt they'll be strangers to each other_ , she thinks as she waves frantically at them. _Maybe Korra and Asami will inspire them to stop dancing around each other and take a leap of faith. Whatever they've got going, it's definitely deeper than it looks and it's not one-sided._

Then it's just Jinora, Kai, Mitali, Zin, Mako, Bolin, and Opal. The latter three have decided to share a jeep heading to Gaoling, where they'll take a train to their respective locations. Bolin hugs everyone hard enough to bruise a rib or two, Opal gives everyone cards with her mailing address on it so they can keep in touch, and although Mako has always been stiffer than his younger brother, he actually cries when he says goodbye to Kai. "Stay out of trouble, Kai," he tells him.

Kai laughs. "You'd think after saying that to me for nearly two years I'd listen to you, huh?"

"Yeah, after you stole that tank I think I gave up my hope of you changing your ways completely." Mako turns to Bolin and Opal and says, "Give me just a moment, there's one thing I have to do before we leave." Jinora's eyes widen as she watches Mako return to the Swamp, pick up an axe that he'd left conveniently nearby, and swings it at the wooden masts of the tent until the whole thing collapses completely. Wiping a hand across his forehead, he says innocently, "I helped put up that monstrosity; it only seems fair that I'd be the one to take it down."

"Nice work, Mako," Mitali praises.

"I wish I could've had a turn to swing that axe," Jinora commiserates.

"Think of all the rats that are homeless now," Kai muses.

"Don't worry," Mako says with an impish grin that makes Jinora understand that he and Bolin really are related. "You'll find somewhere to go."

Once Bolin, Opal, and Mako leave, Jinora turns to her remaining friends and says, "You guys ready to go?" Zin, Mitali, Jinora and Kai had all planned to drive together to the airport in Gaoling, where they'd all depart to Capital City, Bushou, Republic City, and Yu Dao respectively. Maybe it's inconvenient for all four of them to share the final jeep, but honestly, she just wants to prolong saying goodbye for as long as she can.

"Ready," Kai says with a firm nod.

They pile into the jeep—Zin and Mitali up front, Kai and Jinora in the back—and Zin doesn't stop driving until they're at the very edge of the compound. Jinora remembers arriving here almost a year ago in the passenger seat of Corporal Nilak's jeep, wondering what the future had in store for her, and the tears fall from her eyes unbidden. This place had been like a second home to her and she wouldn't trade her time here for anything.

 _Goodbye,_ she thinks as Zin finally drives away. The others are crying too, which makes her feel better. _Goodbye, farewell, and amen._

* * *

 _"Good afternoon passengers. This is the dual pre-boarding announcement for flight 89B to Bushou and flight 54C to Capital City. Both flights are now inviting those passengers with small children, and any passengers requiring special assistance, to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass ready. Regular boarding for both flights will begin in approximately five minutes time. Thank you."_

Kai, who had been eating a bowl of bok choy that he'd bought at an airport kiosk, suddenly finds himself unable to swallow. They'd been at their airport for two hours, bought food and tickets, and spent the last forty-five minutes talking about their childhood homes, but now Mitali and Zin's flights have arrived and he's not ready for them to go yet.

Jinora stands up and they all follow. "So," she begins awkwardly. "What now?"

"Now I guess we wait for regular boarding," Zin answers. He cards his fingers through his hair and looks at Mitali. "I can't believe I'm actually going home."

"Me either," Mitali says in a small voice. "I don't really know what to expect."

"Expect boredom," Kai replies. In response to their surprised looks, he says, "I guarantee you that you won't find any action back home like the one you've had here, Mitali."

"I'm really going to miss you guys." Jinora says it like she's divulging a government secret. "Like, I know we all didn't get off to the best start but I'm really glad—I'm really glad that we all became friends."

"Me too," Kai says. It's hard to remember feeling jealous of Zin or dating Mitali once upon a time now that they're all so close. "And even if we don't see each other again anytime soon, I want you both to know how much you've meant to me. Whenever I see a stock report or smell lychee-scented hairspray, I'll think of you."

"Whenever I smell month-old socks, I'll think of you, Kai," Mitali jokes, but it's negated by the tears in her eyes. "Of all of you, actually."

"If I cut myself shaving and need stitches, I'll think of you, Zin," Kai says. "There isn't a better nurse around. Or a better friend."

"Whenever somebody gives me a martini that tastes like lighter fluid or trounces me in a game of cards I'll think of you two," Zin responds. The announcement that it's not too late to book another flight rings through the air for the fourth time that hour and they all wait for it to pass. "I'll miss you both."

Jinora hugs Mitali and Kai hugs Zin, and then they trade off and hug the other. They all promise to keep in touch through letters and phone calls and even plan to meet up in person in the spring or summer. They keep making conversation where there's no conversation to be made. None of them want to be the first to let go.

 _"This is the final boarding call for passengers booked on flight 89B to Bushou and flight 54C to Capital City. Please proceed to gates 3 and 4 immediately. The final checks are being completed and the captain will order for the doors of the aircraft to close in approximately five minutes time. I repeat. This is the final boarding call for flight 89B to Bushou and flight 54C to Capital City. Thank you."_

Zin clears his throat and turns to Mitali. Mitali fiddles with her ponytail. "So," she says.

"So," he echoes.

"I'll call you the second I get home."

"Ditto. Though I warn you that it won't be able to go for very long—I don't know if my parents will let me out of their sight, even if it's just to call my very beautiful girlfriend."

"Very smooth," she says, and even if Kai weren't looking at her, he can hear her watery smile.

After a beat, Zin and Mitali step to each other and forcefully entwine themselves into a kiss that can only be described as giant. They kiss for a long time—a long, long time. Kai stares at his shoes before clearing his throat and looking in another direction. Jinora adjusts her skirt and necklace and then stares at the floor like it's the most interesting specimen of wood ever. Finally, they step back, neither of them looking the least bit sorry. A laugh bubbles in Kai's throat but he shoves it down.

"So long, Kai," Zin says at the same time that Mitali says, "Bye, Jinora."

And he and Mitali pick up their bags and walk down the hallway to their respective gates hand in hand.

Kai and Jinora watch their friends leave long after their planes have left the airport grounds.

* * *

At the sound of her name, Jinora stirs awake and blinks up at the blurry person in front of her. "Mm?" she murmurs eloquently. "What's going on?"

"They just called pre-boarding for the flight to Republic City, Jin."

She suddenly feels as though someone had poured a bucket full of ice water over her head. Oh. Of course. She's in the airport. She'd fallen asleep waiting for her flight. Mitali and Zin and all of her friends had left already. Kai is still here. And now they finally have to say goodbye. "Are you sure?"

Kai nods once. "Yeah," he says quietly. "I'm sure. And my flight's set to leave ten minutes after yours does; they announced it while you were still out."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

They're both standing now, staring at their shoes like they don't know what to make of each other or the situation at hand. "So," she says stupidly. "Republic City for me, Yu Dao for you?"

His lips twitch. "Yeah, that's right."

"And we're still on to meet each other in a month at Republic City?"

"Yeah. The Palace Hotel on 25th and Badgermole at seven o'clock. I'll take you out for dinner and dancing." He swallows. "Better food than the Officer's Club, I hope."

"I doubt anything will rival the cuisine of the 6152nd," she says. It's just like old times; they could be in the Swamp right now drinking and playing cards with Opal and Bolin. "Kai, I…" She can't think of anything to say and she hates herself for it. She's about to leave Kai for a _month_. A month without seeing his face or hearing his voice or feeling his lips on hers. Why are her words failing her now? "I—"

"I know," he says softly. He does know what she's trying to say. Of course he does. "Me too."

"I'll miss you."

"And I'll miss you. Every day." He takes her hand and squeezes it gently. "I love you."

"I love you too," she answers automatically. "I can't imagine what this place would have been like if I hadn't found you here."

"Me either." He inhales sharply. "I was so alone when I met you, Jin. And I owe you so much. Not just for being my friend, but for…for being the person that means more to me than anyone else in the world." They're so close now that she can count every one of his eyelashes. She tries to memorize every detail of his face, every scar and freckle. "It doesn't feel right to say goodbye to you."

That jerks her out of her trance. "Why?"

"Because." He falters. "Because we'll be seeing each other again soon. This isn't long-term, and it's definitely not forever. Right?"

"Right," she echoes.

And then Kai kisses her, pulling her closer to him. He wraps his arms around her and buries himself in her mouth, and Jinora has never felt more safe and secure in her life. She's never stopped to consider how well they fit together—how their hands slot together like puzzle pieces, how his lips feel like they've been specially made to kiss hers—but now her head is full of new considerations and one old one: how much she loves the man before her.

And one more old one: how much she'll miss him.

"So we won't say goodbye," Jinora says once they've pulled away from each other and are touching foreheads. "Since it's not long-term or forever, we can't say goodbye. We can just say…see you later. Or see you then." A voice comes over the loudspeakers and announces the pre-boarding has begun for the flight to Yu Dao, and the heartsickness she feels is physically painful. "Okay?"

"Okay," he replies. He kisses her once more; short and sweet. "See you then."

And Jinora forces herself to walk away, to get in line for the flight to Republic City—while the flight attendants announce over the loudspeaker that it's not too late to book another flight—to open up her purse and find her boarding pass. All of her actions are slow and methodical, and she does them the best she can.

After all, if she's busy she can't see Kai walk away from her—nor can he see her cry.

* * *

Kai has never written a letter this fast in his life. It had taken him four tries to load his pen correctly, and still he'd ended up smearing ink over his paper and over his fingers. (It had probably been a bad idea to write this letter in a bar because from his speed he's probably going to knock over a glass of beer onto his letter and then he'll be up shit creek without a paddle.) Finally, he finishes, shoves the letter into his final envelope, scribbles an address on it, licks the stamp and presses it to the front of the envelope, and storms out of the bar.

He stops directly in front of the information desk that's fifty feet away from the gate that's announcing the boarding call for flight 62A to Yu Dao at 5:45 p.m.. "Excuse me," he says as politely as he can manage to the lady behind the desk. He's thankful that he'd chosen to keep his dress uniform on because that gets him immediate service. "Sorry to bother you, ma'am—"

"Not at all, sir, how can I help you?"

"Can you add this to your outgoing mail, please?" Kai hands her the envelope. "It's extremely important that this gets to its destination as soon as possible."

She studies the envelope for a moment. "Getting this there as quick as you'd like usually costs extra," she says, and just as he's about to search his pockets for a crumpled yuan or five, she smiles at him. "But for you, I'll send it for free. Thank you for your service, sir."

Kai wonders if she'd still say that if she knew he was on the side of the United Forces and not the side of the monarchists or the New Freedom Fighters, but he can't find it in him to care or do anything else but smile. "Thank you so much," he says. "I appreciate it."

"Of course, sir. Have a good flight!"

 _Believe me,_ he thinks as he heads toward his gate, _I will._

* * *

After nearly ten minutes of waiting in line—who could've known that the flight to Republic City would be so packed—Jinora finally approaches the main desk. "I'm Jinora Gyatso," she says, handing the gentleman behind the desk her boarding pass for him to examine. "One way ticket to Republic City."

"Of course, ma'am. Everything seems to be in order." He leans in close, and her stomach tightens. She'd tried her best to wipe away all traces of her tears with a few napkins and she doesn't want to be questioned about why she'd been crying—especially since the source's plane will be departing soon. "Pardon me for asking, ma'am, but I couldn't help but notice your uniform. Were you stationed around here?"

"Yes sir, in Uijeongbu. I'm a doctor and I worked at a M*A*S*H unit." It's funny how saying her title has become such a nonchalant action—she'd once hated revealing that—but now it's as easy as saying her name. He gives her back her boarding pass and she says, "Hopefully that's all behind me now."

"Hopefully not everything," a voice says from behind her, and her blood damn near freezes in her veins. Her hands go numb and she drops her boarding pass onto the floor; if she's not careful then she'll fall down right with it.

She can't turn around. If she turns around then she'll know that that voice was just a figment of her imagination and she won't be able to stand that, not after their goodbye—

"Jinora," the voice says. "Look at me."

Her legs are like jelly but she eventually manages to turn around. It's him. It's Kai Wen, her Kai. He's here and he's not in Yu Dao and he's smiling at her and he's still wearing his dress uniform and he's got ink on his hands and he's holding his bags and a boarding pass that says _One way to Republic City Airport_ and—

Her brain grinds to a halt.

"Kai." Her voice is calm even though the world must have stopped working at some point over the last few minutes. "Kai, I-I thought you were going to Yu Dao. Why aren't you back in Yu Dao?"

"Because I knew that I'd never be able to shake you, Jin," Kai says. Jinora kind of wants to pinch herself to see if she's dreaming, to see if she'll wake up again standing in line and waiting for someone to stamp her boarding pass while Kai is waiting for the same thing at another gate. "I guess—I had a lot of time to think about it and I realized that I don't want to lose you if I can help it. So I bought a new ticket while you were in line and sent a letter to Yung and—and I'm going to go to Republic City with you." He suddenly looks very nervous. "If you'll have me, that is."

It takes a long time for her to regain the ability to speak. "I'll always have you," she admits in a voice barely above a whisper. Tears pool in the corners of her eyes. "I just—Kai, I can't ask you to give up being with your dad just to come with me."

"You don't have to ask me to do this," he says gently. He puts down his luggage and takes her hands in his. "I'm doing this because I love you, Jin, and just the thought of being without you makes me sick to my stomach. I want to be with you."

Jinora's heart is so full of love for the man before her that she could explode from the weight of it. He'd given up going home to the father that he hadn't seen in almost two years just to be with her. "I want to be with you too."

"Excuse me," the gentleman behind the desk says respectfully. "The doors will be closing any moment now; are you two still boarding?"

"Yes," she says. "We are." She squeezes Kai's hands. "Shall we, Captain Wen?"

Kai grins at her, wide and uncontrollable. "We shall, Captain Gyatso."

Wide, uncontrollable, Jinora grins back.

* * *

 _Dear Yung:_

 _This will be my final letter to you from the warring side of the Earth Kingdom, but believe me I have a lot to say and not a lot of time to say it in. Not a lot has changed since the last time we spoke, though I forgot to ask if you saw me on television making a damn fool out of myself yet. (If so, I swear the war hasn't turned me that philosophical, it's just made me appreciate the finer people and things in life.) But I digress. Ever since the ceasefire and the endless deluge of wounded that it provided and your last phone call, I've had a lot of time to think things over. To think about Jinora._

 _You see, I can't help but get this sick feeling in my gut that if we go our separate ways now, then that'll be it for us. I'll see her once every few months and we'll grow apart and she'll eventually fall for someone else—someone better than me—and I'll be left in Yu Dao wondering what could've been over sips of moonshine. (That's another thing I can do now, haha.) You know I wouldn't ask her to leave her family behind, Yung. I couldn't do that because she hasn't seen them in so long and they'll just end up hating me so much more than they already do._

 _My point is that sometimes you get these glimpses of the future, Yung, and there's nothing you can do but make a lasting decision and watch them fold out in front of you. Sometimes you hear the bullet before you see it, if that makes any sense. And I've heard that bullet and I know what I have to do because I don't want to lose her. That's why I'm writing you this letter in a crappy bar in the Gaoling airport—because I've decided to go with her._

 _Don't be mad. This isn't goodbye. I'm going to come back to Yu Dao and see you once me and Jinora figure out how to live with each other now that the war is over. I'll write you and I'll call you every spare chance I get. That's a promise that I swear I'll never break, not ever. But I have to do this. I love her and I have to do this. You understand, right?_

 _This letter is jumping all over the place and I'm sorry for that, but I really am in a hurry. My plane's leaving soon and I just wanted to tell you my plan so I won't have to see my face advertised on the back of a milk carton or feel any more guilty about leaving you than I already do._

 _I love you, I miss you, and I swear it'll all work out. Just as sure as the sun sets every day, I'll see you again soon. That I swear._

 _Keep your fingers crossed and your heart open for me, will you? I have a feeling that I'm about to need all of the luck I can get._

 _Love,_

 _Your son,_

 _Kai._

* * *

Two years, sixteen chapters, and over a hundred and twenty-five thousand words later, sometimes you hear the bullet is finally complete.

To be honest, I'm a little bit in shock (and somewhat exhausted since I cranked out the last fifteen thousand words or so in one four hour session).This all started out as a desire to fuse one of my favorite ships with one of my favorite TV shows ever—and it wasn't going to go past eight chapters—but as usual, it ended up lasting a lot longer than I anticipated it would.

And now, some notes:

1\. The title of this fic hails from, you guessed it, an episode of M*A*S*H. I chose it because it marked the shift of M*A*S*H from a comedy to a dramedy and is still one of the best episodes of any show I've ever seen. Also because it sounded really cool. And I enjoyed making the title into something of a leitmotif throughout my fic.

2\. There are references to M*A*S*H strewn throughout this fic, but I should specifically credit the storylines of 'A Farewell to Colonels' and 'The Late Captain Wen' (which were loosely inspired by the M*A*S*H episodes Abyssinia, Henry, and The Late Captain Pierce, respectively) and the jokes about food and military bureaucracy. Seriously, if you have the chance to watch M*A*S*H, please take it. I will forever maintain that it's one of the greatest shows ever created.

3\. I can't say with absolute certainty that the surgical procedures I described in this fic were a hundred percent accurate. I did, however, research them as thoroughly as I could and even interviewed my father on occasion, who was an army doctor and has worked in the medical field for more than twenty years. Still—don't try any of this at home, kids.

4\. In case you're interested, the full story behind the war goes as follows. The Earth Kingdom monarchy treated the lower and middle class so badly that an extremist group called the Red Lotus broke into the palace, killed Queen Hou-Ting and the royal family, and then all committed suicide to prevent being thrown in prison. The country was then thrown into political turmoil because several parties started vying for power all at once. The New Freedom Fighters arose out of the ashes and took control of the government, and the United Republic declared war on the NFFs because the UR wanted the Earth Kingdom to be a democracy and the NFFs wanted communism. The Fire Nation allied with the United Republic; the Southern Water Tribe remained neutral but the Northern Water Tribe supported the United Republic as well. The countries began drafting men and women between the ages of eighteen and forty-five to go fight, but people in the Earth Kingdom were drafted by both the United Republic and the New Freedom Fighters and had to choose to fight for either side, creating nationalism-fueled tensions as shown between Kai and Sergeant Cheng. This is the stuff I come up with in my spare time, ladies and gents.

I think I'll stop there before I go on forever, but if you have a question feel free to PM me or leave it in a comment and I'll answer it ASAP.

Finally, I'd like to thank the fifty-nine people who reviewed, the twenty-two people who left favorites, the twenty-nine people who left follows, and yes, even my active lurkers who raised the traffic stats on my story through the roof. Your encouragement was incredible and it made me feel like I wasn't just sending my writing into the void. Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart: I couldn't have done this without you.

Luckily, this isn't goodbye. A few of my friends over on tumblr already know this, but here's the big announcement:

 **sometimes you hear the bullet is getting a sequel.**

I don't know when it's going to be released because I want to focus on my Star Wars series right now, but it will be called 'in our bedroom after the war' and will center around Jinora and Kai learning to live with each other after the war, with all of the drama that implies. I'm also going to be writing a Skoochy-centric oneshot at one point or another, so keep an eye out for that too.

Until next time, this has been boasamishipper, signing out.


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